Renters wanted to know what they could do to get help on various issues with their landlord and or management company. Most of those questions were answered at the first workshop under the city of Bakersfield’s new Eviction Protection Program (EPP). The program aims to educate renters about their rights and ultimately prevent them from being evicted and in a worst-case scenario, joining the ranks of the homeless.
EPP is run by Greater Bakersfield Legal Assistance and Gabriela Belen Gomez is the project coordinator. The thrust of the session dealt with unlawful detainers, which means the eviction process. If a renter gets an eviction notice, Gomez emphasized the importance of quickly responding to the notice and the dire consequences it can have if a tenant does not respond promptly.
Renters can fight an eviction but need to follow certain steps. But navigating the system can be confusing and most renters do not know how to begin asserting their rights. Tenants who are limited in understanding English are especially vulnerable. Landlords must provide tenants with adequate written notice and the notice period required depends on the reason for the eviction.
● 3-day notice allows the tenant to correct a curable violation, such as late rent payment within 3 days.
● 30-day notice: for tenants under 1 year with no cause.
● 60-day notice: for tenants over 1 year with no cause.
If the tenant fails to act within the notice period, the landlord can proceed to file the unlawful detainer lawsuit.
However, not all situations are the same said Belen Gomez. Tenants can get legal assistance from GBLA under the Eviction Protection Program. But there is criteria to qualify for help. Tenants must live within Bakersfield city limits and be considered low-income.
Also in attendance was Ignacio Morales, Code Enforcement Officer with the city. Morales spoke about what tenants can do to have a landlord comply with a code enforcement issue, such as dealing with toxic mold or getting a landlord to repair an AC unit or swamp cooler that has stopped functioning. In some cases, said Morales, a tenant may call code enforcement after receiving an eviction notice hoping to delay or help their case in fighting a landlord. And vice versa, a landlord may complain that the tenant is guilty of creating a code violation. Morales said his office does not take sides and focuses on investigating if a code violation exists.
The next EPP workshops will be held on Wednesday, August 21. A workshop in Spanish will start at 6 pm, followed by an English-language workshop at 7 pm. Both will be held at the Martin Luther King Center, 1000 South Owens Street, Bakersfield. For more information about getting help under the Eviction Protection Program, call GBLA at (661) 325-5943. GBLA is located at 615 California Avenue, Bakersfield.
