While some building owners may not have been aware of the new tenant protections, others “might have been hoping that they could get under the wire, or that the local courts might take a landlord-friendly approach to enforcement,” Hepburn said.
More Cases
Baker’s research shows eviction cases were still being brought to court on Sept. 8, when Invitation Homes, which owns roughly 80,000 single-family rental houses, filed three cases.
“We have been doing what the CDC order directs since early in the pandemic – working with our residents facing Covid-related financial hardships and offering a variety of payment options so they can stay in their homes,” the company said in a statement. “As always, we will continue to follow all government directives.”
Starwood Capital and Onni Group didn’t respond to requests for comment.
The increase in evictions during the first week of September highlights key challenges to implementing the ban, according to John Pollock, coordinator for the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, an organization that seeks to establish a right to legal representation for defendants in housing court.
One problem, he said, is the form tenants have to fill out to get protection, attesting that they’re eligible.
“The moratorium is obviously a good thing and it’s going to help people if they know it exists,” he said. “But they have to learn the thing exists, get a copy, fill it out properly and get it to their landlord before the landlord rams an eviction through the court.”
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.