Emergency Declarations - City of San Diego & San Diego County

Update (Feb. 6): Due to additional storms and flooding, the Governor has declared emergencies in additional counties. This means anti-price gouging rules are now in effect for Imperial, Riverside, and San Diego Counties, triggering a 10% rent cap. Visit the Office of Emergency Services website for more information on specific declarations and their end dates. 

Yesterday’s rains created havoc on the roads and highways, but also to homes and vehicles. Certain neighborhoods were hit harder than others. SCRHA hopes that you and your residents are safe and that your properties avoided serious damage.

Tips, Reminders, and Resources:

• Property owners need to work with their insurance provider if there was damage to their building or property. Do you have Flood Insurance, or might you need it going forward? (Advocacy reminder: The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides affordable insurance to property owners. Congress must periodically renew the NFIP’s statutory authority to operate. Periodically, the National Apartment Association and/or SCRHA may ask you to contact your member of congress to encourage the extension and funding of the program.)
• Those with damage to their vehicles should contact their Auto Insurance provider.
• If your renters have damaged personal property, they should consult with their Renters Insurance provider. Your insurance will repair the structure but not replace resident’s personal property. This could be a good time to remind renters why Renters Insurance is so important. (Pro tip: Make sure your leases are compliant with state law and have the proper flood disclosures.)
• Click here to fill out a Damage Assessment Survey and help the County advocate for State and Federal Assistance. 
• More Recovery resources are available here.  

Emergency Declarations

The City and County of San Diego have declared emergencies due to the storm to help facilitate receiving federal and state money to help rebuild damaged infrastructure and provide services. 

The Governor also proclaimed a State of Emergency. Property owners and managers should be mindful of anti-price gouging laws while the emergencies are in effect.

• It is unlawful for any person, business, or other entity, to increase the rental price advertised, offered, or charged for housing, to an existing or prospective tenant, by more than 10 percent.
• Click here to see where there are state emergencies and how anti-price gouging rules apply to rental housing. (Pro tip: Scroll down to “What are the Price Gouging Protections Under California Law?” and click on the ? mark. Scroll down to read about Rental Housing, Pen. Code § 396 (e) & (f).)   

Be Prepared

In preparation for future rain events, property owners and managers impacted by rising waters during the rain should take advantage of free sandbags provided by local jurisdictions. Visit the website or social media pages for the jurisdiction in which your property is located. Encourage residents to park vehicles in areas that are less likely to flood to help mitigate flood damage to vehicles. Share emergency resources with your residents and staff and encourage everyone to sign up for cell phone alerts.  

• County of San Diego Preparedness Resources
  Information is available for flooding, fire earthquake and more.
• City of San Diego Emergency Preparedness  
• SCRHA Emergency Resources
  Includes links to resources in Imperial, Riverside, and San Diego counties and an Emergency Response Plan Model for Apartment Buildings.

Mother nature can be unpredictable but being prepared can make things easier and knowing where to access resources helps bring peace of mind.