Landlords Must Keep Their Heads as Eviction Moratorium Ends

Landlord-tenant disputes rarely end in murder by sword. Jerry Thompson, 42, of Hartford, CT, thought he was a "sovereign citizen," not subject to anyone else's laws, and he ended his eviction problems with landlord and roommate Victor King in three strokes.

Arizona landlords: Beware of
angry tenants this Halloween. 

Thompson now has housing for life.

Landlords, though, may have earned some sympathy from being in danger. 

Until July 25, there has been a federal moratorium on evictions in response to exploding unemployment due to the COVID-19 crisis. Now, evictions are legal again, but states, cities, and even federal agencies have stepped in to provide a patchwork of extensions.

Two federal agencies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, prohibit evictions until August 31 of single-family properties with loans backed by the agencies, and you can even find the addresses of those properties on line (https://nlihc.org/federal-moratoriums).
 
In the District of Columbia, evictions are banned till 60 days after the COVID crisis ends.

In Hawaii, Florida, and Illinois, they're banned till late August. In Oregon, till October. In New Jersey, till October 5. Massachusetts, till October 17. 

In California, more than 120 local laws exist to discourage or ban evictions.

In Texas, where evictions have resumed, Houston has kicked another $16 million into a fund for rent assistance. The original fund of $15 million was fully claimed in about one hour.

In New York City, Mayor Bill DeBlasio opened a landlord-tenant mediation program in mid-July. 

Many states and municipalities have restricted utility shutoffs as well.

Landlords do have something to fear. Take Arizona's eviction ban, which ends on October 31. It brings up the scary prospect of tenants in Jason masks terrorizing their landlords on Halloween.

Because of Jerry Thompson, who's not the only oddball tenant in America, bizarre instances of violence are no longer unthinkable.  



Should the federal government revive and extend the national eviction moratorium? Should landlords be subsidized if they don't evict tenants who are on unemployment? Should landlords hold off on evictions for their own safety? Where would families go in your town if they're newly homeless? 


Image from Pinterest. Creator unknown. 

https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/31/us/hartford-sword-homicide-trnd/index.html

State-by-state extensions of eviction moratoriums: https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/emergency-bans-on-evictions-and-other-tenant-protections-related-to-coronavirus.html

Addresses of tenants protected by Fannie Mae/Fannie Mac restrictions: https://nlihc.org/federal-moratoriums

Also: https://therealdeal.com/2020/07/21/city-unveils-landlord-tenant-mediation-program-to-avoid-evictions/
https://www.nj.com/coronavirus/2020/07/your-landlord-cant-lock-you-out-in-nj-even-when-federal-protections-expire.html