Owner Refinancing during Covid-19 Pandemic - Tenant Rights

[Aladdin M.]

Hi BP!

We have come across a peculiar issue which I am sure others have or are going to experience.

I am a tenant in CA (I am also a rental property owner, just not this one) and my landlord is refinancing the home in which I reside.

The lender gave the owner a set of guidelines as far as the appraisal process goes and part of this process is that an inspector/appraiser has to set foot in the home. I am not comfortable with this as my wife is immunocompromised and also carries other factors that could affect her long term health and or death. We expressed this to the owner and he seemed concerned, but not so much to delay refinancing. We really do not wish to put ourselves at risk even in the most infinitesimal way, but we do wish to support the owners with their refinance.

Questions:

- What are current California tenants rights in these situations?

- Are lenders attempting other methods of inspection like video conferencing and tools of the sort? I would like to think that stepping foot in a home and taking pictures and measurements is an archaic form of verification for appraisal.

- Any peripheral brainstorm-type creative solution ideas as to how to get this completed?