Associated Press California Governor Gavin Newsom.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, in an executive order Friday, banned evictions statewide through May 31 for renters impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The order prohibits landlords and law enforcement from evicting tenants who get sick with COVID-19, need to stay home to care for others, or lose their job or income and can’t pay rent as a result.

The order is effective immediately, meaning tenants who owe rent on April 1 will be able to get relief, though they must show documentation and are still on the hook for payments later on.

Newsom had previously allowed local governments to pass their own bans, with Los Angeles and several counties across the Bay Area doing so in recent weeks.

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Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Friday banning evictions across California through May 31 for renters affected by the coronavirus. The order prohibits landlords, law enforcement, and courts from evicting tenants for failing to pay rent due to coronavirus-related circumstances.

That includes anyone unable to work because they are caring for someone with a “suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19,” as well as anyone laid off, has their hours or income reduced, or must care for a child whose school was closed due to the coronavirus.

Renters would still be required to eventually pay all the rent they owe, and must notify their landlord that they need to delay rent payments within seven days of their rent becoming due. In order to avoid eviction, tenants must show documentation proving the change in their financial circumstances, such as termination notices, payroll checks, bank statements, or medical bills. They also

The order goes into effect immediately, meaning residents with rent due on April 1 candefer=”defer”those payments.

Newsom had previously issued an order allowing local governments to pass their own eviction bans, which Los Angeles, as well as several counties across the Bay Area, did in recent weeks. But housing activists and lawmakers urged Newsom to go further, which he did Friday by passing a temporary statewide ban.

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