1179.09. For purposes of this chapter:
(a) “Approved application” means an application for which a government rental assistance program has verified applicant eligibility, and the requested funds have been obligated to the applicant for payment.
(b) “COVID-19 recovery period rental debt” means a rental debt of a tenant under a tenancy that came due between October 1, 2021, and March 31, 2022.
(c) “COVID-19 rental debt” has the same meaning as defined in Section 1179.02.
(d) (1) “Final decision” means either of the following determinations by a government rental assistance program regarding an application for rental assistance:
(A) The application is an approved application.
(B) The application is denied for any of the following reasons:
(i) The tenant is not eligible for government rental assistance.
(ii) The government rental assistance program no longer has sufficient rental assistance funds to approve the application.
(iii) The application for government rental assistance remains incomplete 15 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and other judicial holidays, after the landlord properly completed the portion of the application that is the responsibility of the landlord because of failure on the part of the tenant to properly complete the portion of the application that is the responsibility of the tenant.
(2) “Final decision” does not include any of the following:
(A) The rejection of an application as incomplete or improperly completed by a landlord.
(B) Notification that an application is temporarily pending further action by the government rental assistance program or the applicant.
(C) Notification that the landlord or tenant applied to the wrong government rental assistance program for the property or rental debt at issue.
(e) “Government rental assistance program” means any rental assistance program authorized pursuant to Chapter 17 (commencing with Section 50897) of Part 2 of Division 31 of the Health and Safety Code.
(f) “Pertinent government rental assistance program” means a government rental assistance program for the city, county, or city and county in which the property at issue is located.
(g) “Rental debt” means an unpaid rent or other unpaid financial obligation of a tenant under the tenancy that has come due.
(h) (1) “Rental debt that accumulated due to COVID-19 hardship” means COVID-19 rental debt, COVID-19 recovery period rental debt, or a combination of both, if it accumulated during a tenancy initially established before October 1, 2021.
(2) (A) For purposes of this subdivision, a tenancy is initially established when the tenants first lawfully occupy the premises.
(B) Any of the following do not initially establish a tenancy:
(i) The renewal of a periodic tenancy.
(ii) The extension of an existing lease or rental agreement.
(iii) The execution of a new lease or rental agreement with one or more individuals who already lawfully occupy the premises.
(Added by Stats. 2021, Ch. 27, Sec. 20. (AB 832) Effective June 28, 2021. Repealed as of September 30, 2024, pursuant to Section 1179.15.)