Federal Eviction Moratorium Update

The current federal eviction moratorium comes with a number of qualifications and conditions. Be aware of them. It’s a limited but helpful tool.

Our last three weekly blog posts have been about the new Agency Order temporarily stopping many residential evictions. This Order by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) went into effect on September 4, 2020. It expires on December 31, 2020, when all unpaid rent will be due and evictions can resume.

Three weeks ago we described this eviction moratorium. Two weeks ago we discussed how renters could get more benefit from the moratorium with a Chapter 7 “straight bankruptcy.” Last week we got into how Chapter 13 could help significantly more. This week we provide additional important practical information.

Exceptions to the Eviction Moratorium

The CDC’s evictions ban did not cover all possible evictions. As a renter you need to make sure that you qualify and take the right steps to avoid being disqualified.

First, as emphasized last week, you must complete and give your landlord a Declaration form to trigger the eviction ban. Otherwise you do not qualify for the moratorium.

Second, you sign that Declaration under penalty of perjury. If you are not truthful, you’d expose yourself both to criminal liability and to eviction. So make sure you meet the stated income and other qualifications.

Third, the Declaration requires you to make “timely partial payments” as much as you can afford. You can’t necessarily just stop monthly payments altogether. In fact “timely” indicates that you should try to make partial payments when the regular rent payments are due each month. But what determines whether and how much you can afford to pay? The CDC’s Agency Order says you must use your “best efforts.” The “partial payments [are to be] as close to the full payment as the individual’s circumstances may permit, taking into account other nondiscretionary expenses.” This is all quite vague. But if you can afford to pay something and you don’t, your landlord has potential grounds to evict regardless of the moratorium.

Fourth, the Declaration makes you liable not just for rental payments, but also for “other obligations that I may have under my… lease agreement… .” This includes “fees, penalties, or interest for not paying rent… on time… .” These “may still be charged or collected.” Presumably this means landlords can collect these additional charges only after the moratorium expires, so starting January 1, 2021. But don’t lose sight of these add-ons—they can really add up.

Evictions for Other Reasons

The Agency Order states clearly that even if you otherwise qualify and deliver a truthful Declaration, your landlord could still try to evict you “for reasons other than not paying rent….”

Some but not necessarily all such reasons include:

(1) Engaging in criminal activity while on the premises; (2) threatening the health or safety of other residents; (3) damaging or posing an immediate and significant risk of damage to property; (4) violating any applicable building code, health ordinance, or similar regulation relating to health and safety; or (5) violating any other contractual obligation, other than the timely payment of rent or similar housing-related payment (including non-payment or late payment of fees, penalties, or interest).

85 Fed. Reg. 55,294 (Sept. 4, 2020).

You need to be mindful of these other reasons for eviction that defeat the moratorium. However, also note that landlords face a significant risk if they violate the Agency Order by trying to wrongfully evict you. These include significant fines ranging from $100,000 to $500,000 per event, and even possible imprisonment. These penalties should discourage frivolous attempts by landlord to evict with invalid justification.

Expired or Lack of Lease Agreement, Subtenants

Three common situations are not addressed directly by the Agency Order.

First, you may have signed a month-to-month lease agreement with a one-year term, but continued on after that one year. The landlord and you essentially assume that you both continue to be bound by the lease agreement. But legally it’s clearly expired. Assume you’re not paying rent because of the moratorium, but the landlord has somebody else who can afford the rent. Can the landlord evict you without violating the moratorium because you have no valid lease agreement? It’s certainly plausible.

Similarly, what if your lease agreement expires at the end of this month? Presumably the landlord is under no obligation to renew or extend the agreement. So he or she may be able to evict you in spite of the moratorium.

What about verbal lease agreements? Or month-to-month ones in which both parties can legally end that lease at any point. Seems like the landlord could have the right to end the agreement and evict in spite of the moratorium.

Finally, many people are subtenants who are not on the original lease agreement. So they don’t have a direct relationship with the property’s landlord. Similarly, a number of residents may live under a lease signed only by one of the housemates. If you don’t have renter’s rights because you are not the legal renter, the moratorium does not apply to you. If the renter on the agreement does something allowing the landlord to evict him or her, the moratorium will not likely help you.

Conclusion

The federal eviction moratorium gives you a potentially helpful additional tool during these intensely challenging times. But you have to act to qualify for it. And there are various conditions and exceptions you’ve got to be aware of.

In addition, the eviction moratorium is just one tool of many. It may best be used in conjunction with a range of bankruptcy tools. See a bankruptcy lawyer to find out how to use all the available legal tools to help you meet your goals.