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Facing challenges with housing (landlord issues, maintenance concerns, facing eviction, etc.) can be some of the most stressful things we experience as people.  Sacramento Tenants Union (STU) believes that if we face these things together; as a community, as collective of neighbors in a housing complex and more; there is power in our numbers and collective voice that can bring about change.  Sometimes change in individual situations simply requires knowledge of our rights and the resources available to us to address them.  This page is dedicated to some of those resources and information about your rights as a tenant.  Additionally, if you and your neighbors organize, you can win both individual situations and situations that may impact many others together, and STU is here to help. Do you have questions about your rights as a tenant, facing a rent increase or eviction? Contact STU by clicking the button below or calling us (530) 564-6245, leaving a message explaining your situation and a member of the STU will call you back as soon as we can. Being a tenants union, we encourage you to stand together in solidarity with your neighbors. We are stronger when we fight together rather than alone. Don’t know where to start? We can help with that too.

Note: we can only help folks in Sacramento and surrounding areas! If you are outside Sacramento County and still in California, check out Tenants Together below or see if you have a local tenants union.
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Tenant Resources

Sacramento County

    • Legal Services of Northern California – offers free legal aid to those who need it. If you have received an Unlawful Detainer (eviction) notice or have other serious legal issues, try to get legal help through LSNC.
    • Sacramento Justice League – Sacramento Justice League is a nonprofit corporation in Sacramento providing low-income Sacramento County residents access to legal services in the areas of law that impact these residents the most. This includes tenant law as they have a tenant attorney on staff.
    • Renters Helpline – is funded by the City and County of Sacramento and is run through Project Sentinel and Sacramento Self-Help Housing. This is another option for getting help with a problem you are facing as a tenant, especially if you feel your rights under the Fair Housing Act are being violated.
    • Tenant Protection Program – Sacramento’s Tenant Protection Program was created to assist residential tenants with increasing rental rates by establishing limits on annual rent increases. For longer-term tenants, it also provides protection from unwarranted lease termination. The program helps provide renters in the City of Sacramento with more stability to help them remain in their rental unit.  Email them at tpp@cityofsacramento.org or call them at 916-808-8121
    • Sacramento Mediation Center – The Sacramento Mediation Center (SMC) provides confidential and neutral conflict resolution assistance to individuals, families, businesses, organizations, neighborhoods, and government agencies. In doing so, SMC creates unique opportunities for participatory decisions, interest-based resolutions, and peacemaking.

California

    • Disabilty Rights California: Housing Stability Project – supports people with disabilities facing legal housing issues with things such as discrimination, evictions, reasonable accommodations, habitability issues & more. Legal advice and counsel is provided, but representation is rare and should not be expected. A social work team is also available to help connect to other resources needed by the household.
    • Tenants Together – is a statewide association of Tenant’s Rights groups (including STU!). They also have an amazing library of resources related to problems you might encounter as a tenant, from how to get your security deposit back to sample letters requesting a stay (pause) on an eviction you have received. Tenants together also runs a state-wide counseling network.

Eviction Defense

    • California Eviction Process – This chart gives you an idea of the process entailed in eviction. Your landlord CANNOT force you out of your home without this process being completed and can only be enforced by the Sacramento County Sheriff Department.

COVID-19 Resources for Sacramento Tenants

    • COVID-19 Renter Protections from October 1, 2021, Onward – If you have questions about what your rights are in regards to evictions and past due rent due to COVID-19, this is a great resource with information you will want to know. If you have questions or need further assistance regarding your individual situation, please click HERE to connect with Sacramento Eviction Defense Network.

    • Sacramento Emergency Rental Assistance (SERA) – In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency (SHRA), in partnership with the City and the County of Sacramento, through federal and state funding, is offering emergency rent and utilities assistance for renters living anywhere in Sacramento County who have experienced a reduction in household income or other financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To apply, click HERE.

Tenant Rights - Laws, policies, and more

City of Sacramento

California

STU Know Your Rights Trainings