Do you have tenants in San Francisco refusing to pay rent because of a professed COVID-related hardship still at this late date?

In a recent unlawful detainer case, the defendant asserted the defense of a COVID-related hardship to stave off eviction.

The plaintiff we represented overcame this defense by proving that the claim was without merit and that the defendant was not credible in his assertions.

In San Francisco Superior Court, our client was able to secure a judgment for a nonpaying tenant who argued, among other baseless affirmative defense claims, that there was a financial impact related to COVID.

During the trial, our firm presented evidence that there was no negative impact tied to the pandemic and the outcome: the court granted judgment for possession of the premises and monetary damages.

The main takeaway is that defendants cannot hide behind COVID-era protections reserved for tenants with genuine hardships and, with proper counsel, uncorroborated claims can be convincingly disputed in front of a judge or jury.