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AB-246 • 2026

Social Security Tenant Protection Act of 2025.

Social Security Tenant Protection Act of 2025.

Housing
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Bryan
Last action
2025-10-06
Official status
Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 337, Statutes of 2025.
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on how long eviction proceedings can be delayed beyond the requirement to catch up on rent within 14 days of restored benefits.

Social Security Tenant Protection Law

This law allows tenants who face eviction due to delays, reductions, or interruptions in their Social Security benefits to delay eviction proceedings until they can pay back rent or make a payment plan with the landlord.

What This Bill Does

  • Allows tenants to use 'Social Security hardship' as an affirmative defense in unlawful detainer proceedings based on nonpayment of rent.
  • Defines 'Social Security hardship' as a loss of income due to an interruption in Social Security benefits caused by federal government action or inaction, which prevents the tenant from paying rent.
  • Requires tenants to provide evidence that their Social Security payments have been terminated, delayed, or reduced and that this prevented them from paying rent.
  • If a tenant proves they had Social Security hardship, the court must delay eviction proceedings until the tenant can either pay back rent or make a payment plan with the landlord.
  • The law requires tenants to catch up on missed rent within 14 days after their Social Security benefits are restored.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Tenants who receive Social Security and have trouble paying rent because of delays, reductions, or interruptions in their payments.
  • Landlords involved in unlawful detainer proceedings with tenants claiming Social Security hardship.

Terms To Know

Social Security hardship
A situation where someone loses income due to an interruption in their Social Security benefits, which stops them from paying rent.
Unlawful detainer proceeding
The legal process a landlord uses to evict a tenant for not following the terms of the lease agreement, such as not paying rent on time.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This law only applies until January 20, 2029.
  • It does not forgive past due rent; tenants must still pay it back or make a payment plan with their landlord once they receive their Social Security benefits again.

Bill History

  1. 2025-10-06 California Legislative Information

    Chaptered by Secretary of State - Chapter 337, Statutes of 2025.

  2. 2025-10-06 California Legislative Information

    Approved by the Governor.

  3. 2025-09-22 California Legislative Information

    Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 3 p.m.

  4. 2025-09-10 California Legislative Information

    Senate amendments concurred in. To Engrossing and Enrolling. (Ayes 50. Noes 17. Page 3233.).

  5. 2025-09-09 California Legislative Information

    In Assembly. Concurrence in Senate amendments pending.

  6. 2025-09-09 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Assembly. (Ayes 27. Noes 11. Page 2699.).

  7. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  8. 2025-08-29 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 5. Noes 2.) (August 29).

  9. 2025-08-25 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Referred to suspense file.

  10. 2025-08-18 California Legislative Information

    (Ayes 27. Noes 0. Page 2174.)

  11. 2025-08-18 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  12. 2025-08-13 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.

  13. 2025-07-17 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  14. 2025-07-16 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (July 15).

  15. 2025-07-03 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to committee. Read second time, amended, and re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  16. 2025-06-18 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Com. on JUD.

  17. 2025-06-05 California Legislative Information

    In Senate. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment.

  18. 2025-06-04 California Legislative Information

    Read third time. Passed. Ordered to the Senate. (Ayes 49. Noes 13. Page 2077.)

  19. 2025-05-27 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  20. 2025-05-23 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Do pass. (Ayes 11. Noes 2.) (May 23).

  21. 2025-05-14 California Legislative Information

    In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to suspense file.

  22. 2025-05-05 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

  23. 2025-05-01 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended.

  24. 2025-04-30 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 8. Noes 3.) (April 29).

  25. 2025-04-10 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD. pursuant to Assembly Rule 77.2.

  26. 2025-04-10 California Legislative Information

    Read third time and amended. Ordered to third reading. (Page 1104.)

  27. 2025-03-28 California Legislative Information

    Read third time and amended. Ordered to third reading. (Page 939.)

  28. 2025-03-06 California Legislative Information

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

  29. 2025-03-05 California Legislative Information

    Read second time and amended. Ordered returned to second reading.

  30. 2025-03-04 California Legislative Information

    From committee: Amend, and do pass as amended. (Ayes 8. Noes 3.) (March 4).

  31. 2025-02-25 California Legislative Information

    Re-referred to Com. on JUD.

  32. 2025-02-24 California Legislative Information

    From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on JUD. Read second time and amended.

  33. 2025-02-10 California Legislative Information

    Referred to Coms. on JUD. and PUB. S.

  34. 2025-01-16 California Legislative Information

    From printer. May be heard in committee February 15.

  35. 2025-01-15 California Legislative Information

    Read first time. To print.

Official Summary Text

AB 246, Bryan.
Social Security Tenant Protection Act of 2025.
Existing law provides that a tenant is guilty of unlawful detainer if the tenant continues to possess the property without permission of the landlord after the tenant defaults on rent or fails to perform a condition or covenant of the lease under which the property is held, among other reasons. Existing law requires a tenant be served a 3 days’ notice in writing to cure a default or perform a condition of the lease, or return possession of the property to the landlord, as specified.
Existing law, until January 1, 2030, prohibits an owner of residential real property from terminating a tenancy without just cause, as specified.
This bill would, until January 20, 2029, enact the Social Security Tenant Protection Act of 2025 (the Act). The Act would authorize a tenant of residential real property to assert Social Security hardship as an affirmative defense in an
unlawful detainer proceeding based on the nonpayment of rent. The Act would define “Social Security hardship” as a loss of income due to an interruption in the payment of Social Security benefits due to the action or inaction of the federal government. The Act would require a tenant asserting Social Security hardship as an affirmative defense to provide, to the satisfaction of the court, evidence that Social Security payments typically received by the tenant’s household have been terminated, delayed, or reduced due to no fault of the tenant and that the hardship prevented the tenant from paying the rent. If the tenant successfully provides this evidence, the Act would require the court to issue a stay of the unlawful detainer action, as specified.
The Act would not relieve a tenant of their obligation to pay past due rent, and it would require a tenant, within
14 days of the Social Security benefits being restored, to either pay all past due rent or enter into a mutually agreed upon payment plan with the owner of the residential real property. If the tenant pays all past due rent or enters into a payment plan with the owner, the Act would require the court to either dismiss the unlawful detainer action with prejudice or set aside the judgment against all named and unnamed defendants in the action. The Act would further require the Judicial Council, by January 1, 2027, to adopt or modify forms as needed to implement the Act.

Current Bill Text

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