California Governor Jerry Brown signed [signing record] several bills on Wednesday including AB2343 [text] extending the time tenants are given to respond to an eviction notice.

The previous law required landlords to give a three-day notice to tenants to allow them to remedy the any violations or vacate the unit. After that a landlord can file to obtain possession of their property by filing a complaint and serving a notice of summons which the tenant has five days in which to respond.

The calculation of these days had included weekends, and the bill changed the law to exclude judicial holidays such as weekends. The San Francisco Chronicle reported [SFC report] that landlords would take advantage of the weekend days and file notices on Friday evenings before holiday weekends so tenants could not file a response or attempt to cure any violations.

The bill’s passage was a necessary change with California’s housing crisis [Politico Report] continuing to escalate leaving those who are evicted with few options and sometimes homeless. Nationally, eviction rates are high [NPR Report] possibly explained by soaring housing prices and incomes remaining flat for many Americans, failing to adjust for the housing market. Such reforms as California’s recent bill may be necessary nationwide to keep Americans in their homes.