By Vanguard Staff
SACRAMENTO, CA – A key tenant protection bill authored by State Senator Dr. Aisha Wahab (D-Silicon Valley) passed the California Senate this week and now heads to the Assembly. Senate Bill 436—titled the Keeping Californians Housed Act—would give renters more time to avoid eviction for nonpayment of rent by extending the mandatory notice period from three days to 14 days.
“This bill is a win-win for tenants and landlords,” said Senator Wahab in a statement. “The goal of this bill is housing stability. We are protecting seniors, single parents, disabled tenants, and all renters who experience occasional financial uncertainty.”
Under current California law, renters facing eviction for nonpayment receive a three-day “pay or quit” notice before a landlord can initiate court proceedings. SB 436 would align California with more than two dozen other states—including New York, Massachusetts, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington—that already require longer notice periods before filing eviction cases.
Tenant advocates have long argued that California’s three-day timeline is too short for many renters to access emergency aid, borrow funds, or seek legal help—particularly in an era of rising rents and limited housing supply. The bill’s backers include the Los Angeles Right to Counsel Coalition, Public Advocates, Tenants Together, and the Western Center on Law and Poverty.
“Senate Bill 436 gives tenants the crucial gift of time,” said Shane Henson, a member of the Los Angeles Renters’ Right to Counsel Coalition. “Time to collect their last paycheck, ask friends and family for help, apply for rental assistance, and get legal counsel. This change goes a long way towards preventing unnecessary evictions and keeping families safely housed.”
Public Advocates Senior Staff Attorney Suzanne Dershowitz noted the historical context: “California’s eviction laws haven’t been updated since 1863—during the Civil War—giving tenants just three days to pay late rent while property owners get months to catch up on mortgages. With rent prices growing 325% faster than incomes and 45% of California households renting, extending the notice period to 14 days will help renters AND landlords avoid unnecessary evictions.”
Supporters say the measure is especially important as California faces continued economic uncertainty and potential federal cuts to safety net programs.
“As we brace for nationwide economic instability and unprecedented threats to the federal social safety net,” said Shanti Singh, Legislative & Communications Director at Tenants Together, “it is more urgent than ever to give Californians the opportunity to pay and stay housed when they miss a paycheck, a Social Security check, or a housing voucher, through no fault of their own.”
Benjamin Henderson, Policy Advocate at the Western Center on Law and Poverty, echoed the urgency: “No person or family should lose their home just because they needed a few more days to pull together their rent, especially in a state facing a housing crisis.”
SB 436 now moves to the Assembly, where housing advocates hope it will continue gaining momentum in California’s broader push to prevent homelessness and expand housing security.
