Culver City renters affected by the COVID-19 pandemic will have additional time to pay back rent, according to a public order issued this week by the Culver City City Manager's office.

The order, which instructed by actions taken on April 27 by the Culver City Council, extends the time period for commercial and residential tenants to pay their landlords back rent to 12 months following the expiration of Culver City's COVID-19-related eviction moratorium, which is scheduled to end on May 31.

Violations of the public order may be subject to fines of up to $1,000 for each instance.

The extended deadline reflects evolving plans to reopen California's economy after the COVID-19 outbreak subsides.  State and local officials currently envision a four-phased reopening of businesses, with essential and low-risk industries expected to restart or ramp up operations first. However, businesses that are not part of that first wave would face additional delays in securing revenue streams needed to make rent payments.