COVID-19 crisis impacts rental housing industry, new resources help owners assist tenants

SAN DIEGO – The global response to the virus known as COVID-19 has led to significant changes in the rental housing industry for owners, managers and tenants.

The Southern California Rental Housing Association is taking a leadership role in preparing and educating those in the industry about the unique issues created by the coronavirus crisis including occupational health guidelines for working with quarantined or sick residents and information on foreclosure relief, eviction bans and much more.

By monitoring up-to-the-minute developments and providing education and advocacy, SCRHA helps ensure that rental housing owners and managers are well prepared for these new challenges – and supports their efforts to assist residents in this time of crisis.

Recognizing that the crisis is having an immediate impact on the rental housing industry, SCRHA is also taking the unusual step of making certain coronavirus resources available to nonmembers, free of charge.

"This is an extraordinary time for our industry and the nation as a whole. For this reason, the Southern California Rental Housing Association has stepped up to provide real-time guidance for all rental property owners and managers on the coronavirus crisis,” Kendra Bork, board president of SCRHA, said. “As the situation evolves, SCRHA is actively monitoring local, state and national developments to advocate for our industry and inform our members. All rental housing owners are impacted by this pandemic and at the same time many of our tenants are facing the same challenges including income reductions or health concerns.”

New SCRHA resources include a new resource portal for rental property owners and managers: Guidance for Dealing with COVID-19 at https://info.socalrha.org/covid-19-resources.

Frequently Asked Questions can be found at https://socalrha.org/covid-19-faqs/.

The new COVID-19 Hardship Consideration Form is at https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/3331646/298Form.pdf.

The white paper is available for download at https://info.socalrha.org/covid-19-resources.

SCRHA’s team provides expert insight and guidance on legislative developments at the local, state and federal levels regarding rents, evictions, legal protections and potential sources of aid for owners and tenants. The new resources developed by SCRHA for rental property owners and managers will equip them to be able to comply with new laws addressing these new challenges and to assist their residents at this critical time.

“We realize that there is no one-size-fits-all approach during this emergency. We must balance the needs of our tenants, the community and our own rental property businesses in an environment that is very new and changing rapidly,” Bork said. “That’s why SCRHA has added a special page on our website with resources and the latest updates – to continue our tradition of being a trusted resource for advocacy and education in the rental housing industry.”

Submitted by the Southern California Rental Housing Association.