Overview

• AB 246 creates a court defense to eviction when Social Security payments are interrupted, delayed, or reduced due to federal action, with the case paused up to six months or 14 days after benefits resume.
• Tenants invoking AB 246 must show the benefit disruption caused nonpayment and, once benefits restart, pay owed rent within 14 days or enter an agreed payment plan to have the case dismissed with prejudice.
• AB 628 raises habitability standards by requiring a working stove and refrigerator purchased within the last ten years for any lease that is new, renewed, or modified starting in 2026.
• The package adds procedural protections, including a multilingual eviction summons by January 1, 2027 under AB 863 and rules under AB 414 requiring electronic return of security deposits when collected electronically.
• The Street Vendor Business Protection Act bars local agencies from sharing vendors’ personal data with federal immigration authorities without a judicial order and requires certain pre‑2026 databases to be destroyed by March 1, 2026.