By Ben Christopher

WHAT THE BILL WOULD DO

AB 2347 by Assemblymember Ash Kalra, a San Jose Democrat, would give tenants 10 business days to respond to an eviction notice, doubling the current deadline of five business days. If a tenant doesn’t respond within that time frame, they automatically lose their eviction case. 

WHO SUPPORTS IT

Legal aid organizations that represent low-income tenants are the main backers of the bill. They’re joined by affordable housing advocates, the California Democratic Party and the city of San Jose. Supporters argue that tenants being threatened with eviction may also be struggling financially, not have access to legal representation, not speak English as a first language, or fail to understand the significance of the landlord’s eviction notice. Five court calendar days, they say, is simply not enough time to respond. 

Researchers have found that tenants lose 40% or more of their eviction cases in California by default — either because they failed to respond on time or filed the application incorrectly. 

WHO IS OPPOSED

Landlords. It often takes months between when an eviction notice is filed and when an owner can reclaim their property from a tenant. Extending that process even further means higher costs for those in the rental industry and, landlord lobbying groups warn, higher rents.

WHY IT MATTERS

California has one of the highest rates of homelessness in the county. California already has laws on the books that restrict how and when landlords can boot tenants from their rental properties, but this bill would give tenants more legal leverage to make use of those protections. Supporters hope that will keep more Californians from becoming homeless in the first place. 

GOVERNOR’S CALL ✅

Newsom announced Sept. 24 he signed the bill, among other consumer protection proposals.