Some Landlords Would Rather Evict Tenants Than Accept Federal Rental Aid

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/emergency-rental-assistance-program-landlords_n_61439bdce4b0d808bf26967e?lej


Congress set aside $46 billion to cover rent for people struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic, but states and cities have so far distributed only a fraction of the funds.

Some local governments lack the staff and the know-how to distribute the aid, and many have saddled renters with tough paperwork requirements.

But another problem is that some landlords refuse to accept the money.

In Baltimore, one property management firm told local TV station WBAL earlier this week that it wouldn’t take the payment because the wording in the city’s rental assistance contract “contained ambiguities and conflict,” an apparent reference to the city’s requirement that participating landlords hold off on evictions for 90 days.

“If you’re getting paid in full and all the balances will be zero, I’m not understanding,” the property manager’s struggling tenant told WBAL.

*snip*

[Hoyt]

1. Doubt that is universal. But it does tick me off local governments aren't

getting the rent payments out.

Feds ought to give them a week or two, then take it back and distribute it. There are people who will get evicted unnecessarily, even in blue states.

[Beastly Boy]

2. If the terms of payment to landlords in Baltimore are reported correctly,

it sounds to me like these terms require that the participating landlord agree, in return for bringing a tenant's rent payments up to date, to give up the only available remedy to recover legal possession of his property, regardless of circumstances, for the next 90 days. Not every landlord can afford to be so generous.

[DET]

3. Dumb and Misleading Headline and Article

That headline is really misleading. As is pointed out in the article, landlords ‘would rather evict tenants’ if they aren’t being paid - which, in many cases, they aren’t - or if they have ‘bad’ tenants (people who have issues with the law, destructive tenants, substance abusers, people who are abusing the eviction moratorium, etc.). Landlords also don’t like dealing with the Government, which is why many won’t accept Section 8.

Bizarrely, the article suggests that “One way around obstinate landlords would be for governments to pay renters directly.” Huh? How would that be any less screwed up than paying the landlords directly? And the last thing I’d want to deal with as a landlord is relying on a broke tenant to faithfully pass the rent money on to me - while, of course, being prohibited from evicting them if they don’t.

Landlords have had their properties tied up for a year and a half now. This has to end at some point.