SB 1103
expands protections for qualified commercial tenants* throughout California in three ways:
Expanding language access by requiring commercial leases be provided to tenants in the languages in which they are negotiated (Spanish, Chinese, Tagalog, Vietnamese, or Korean)
Creating transparency and standards with respect to building operating costs
Giving small businesses and small nonprofits more time to prepare for rent increases or termination of their tenancies
*The bill defines qualified commercial tenants as micro-enterprises that have five (5) or fewer employees and generally lack sufficient access to loans, equity, or other financial capital, a restaurant with fewer than ten (10) employees; and a nonprofit organization with fewer than 20 employees.
Here are instructions on how to notify your landlord, guidance has been provided from Public Counsel.
Unless the tenancy is from week to week, month to month, or for less than a month, the notice and self-attestation must be provided before or upon execution of the lease and annually thereafter. It is best to send this notice through a mailing method that provides proof it was received/delivered to the landlord. For additional information, please use this legal alert here and refer to the bill text.
To utilize the protections provided by SB 1103, qualified commercial tenants must provide the landlord with a written notice, within the previous 12 months, that they are a qualified commercial tenant and a self-attestation regarding the number of employees. Attach the sample notice and self-attestation on page 6 of legal alert.