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The national ban on evictions ended on Saturday after a last-minute attempt to extend it by Democratic lawmakers failed in the House. The moratorium was first put in place by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in September 2020—an action that allowed tenants to miss their rental payments but left housing providers on the hook for payment of their bills. Housing providers say they’ve faced more than $13 billion in unpaid rent per month due to the moratorium.
But on July 31, the nationwide eviction moratorium—which had several extensions by the Biden administration over this year—came to an end. What comes next? The National Association of REALTORS® is hosting a free webinar, “Next Up: After the Eviction Moratorium,” on Aug. 4 at 1 p.m. Central time.
Now that the eviction moratorium has expired, tenants who missed rent payments will need to resume paying, which may include accommodation, such as a new payment plan or lease developed with the help of their housing provider. Tenants must repay any additional months they missed during the pandemic, although a few states have extended protections there or prohibited housing providers from charging late fees.
Also, housing providers may start processing an eviction notice for nonpayments of tenants—as long as they don’t live in states that have passed a local law extending the moratorium on evictions. California, Illinois, and New York, among others, have passed extensions on an eviction moratorium. In addition, some state court systems adopted policies barring or disfavoring the filing of eviction proceedings in light of the CDC eviction moratorium. Those policies may not have been automatically lifted when the CDC order expired.
Further, several federal agencies have extended their moratoriums until Sept. 30, such as the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the Department of Agriculture, Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Rental Assistance Is Still Available
NAR has been a strong advocate of securing rental assistance for tenants. This is including two pieces of legislation that obtained nearly $50 billion for this federal emergency program. So far, an estimated 6.5% has been distributed of those funds as of last week.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced a new online tool where renters and housing providers who continue to face pandemic-related financial hardships can locate and apply for payment assistance for rent, utilities, and other expenses. The new Rental Assistance Finder, at consumerfinance.gov/renthelp, can guide housing providers and renters to aid programs in their area.
NAR also offers a webpage devoted to information for its members, including links to emergency rental assistance programs, government resources, and more. Access it at NAR.realtor. State-by-state eviction moratorium laws are also accessible to view here.