Motels, hotels, and short-term lodging: disasters.

Assembly Members Gabriel and Rivas propose new protections for Californians displaced by disasters through legislation defining their status in temporary lodging accommodations. The measure establishes that individuals staying in hotels, motels, or licensed short-term rentals after their homes become uninhabitable due to a declared disaster do not automatically gain tenant status under state law.

The bill creates specific notice requirements for lodging providers serving disaster-displaced guests. Properties must give at least 72 hours' notice before requiring guests to vacate if they have stayed more than 30 days. These provisions apply to accommodations that met local registration or licensing requirements for short-term lodging when the disaster was declared.

Under the measure's framework, a "disaster" encompasses events resulting in either a federal disaster declaration or a Governor-proclaimed state of emergency. The bill takes effect immediately upon passage to address housing impacts from Los Angeles County wildfires and includes a sunset date of January 1, 2031.