What to Do If Tenants Do Not Pay Rent

By Stephanie Mojica

Amid the coronavirus or COVID-19 crisis are questions such as, “What if I can’t pay my rent?” Some places such as New York City and Los Angeles have put temporary moratoriums on evictions, while others such as New Orleans have not. The main question for the majority of Realty411 readers is most likely, “How can I protect my investment if my renters do not pay their rent?”

There is no easy answer at this stage. Companies such as MetroWide Apartments in Louisiana have sent letters to tenants (some of whom are now unemployed due to COVID-19’s impact on the viability of some types of jobs) stating that it is business as usual, according to NBC News. Late fees will still accrue and evictions will continue as usual. This led to recently unemployed tenant Kristina Jameson telling NBC News that the company had “No heart. No understanding.”

After being contacted by NBC News, MetroWide backpedaled slightly — but did not budge much on its business-as-usual position.

In an email interview with NBC News, landlord Joshua Bruno said the email should have included community resources for residents, such as Jameson, who need help. However, Bruno said the rent should still be paid on time.

In New York City, there is a 90-day moratorium on evictions as well as a 90-day moratorium on mortgage payments, according to The New York Times. These apply to residential and commercial properties. This is good news for New York City landlords and tenants alike, but what about other cities?

Landlord groups are urging compassion while simultaneously pressuring local, state, and federal officials to provide both sides of the landlord-tenant relationship much-needed relief, according to the Los Angeles Times.

“This is an unprecedented crisis, and through no fault of their own, people are struggling,” Jim Lapides, spokesman for the National Multifamily Housing Council, a national landlord advocacy group, said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “It’s up to us to do our part.”

As of Realty411 press time, only some California cities had placed a moratorium on evictions. Those cities include Los Angeles, San Francisco, and San Jose. The entire state had not issued a moratorium, but states such as Indiana, Washington, and Maryland had, according to the Los Angeles Times.