On July 23, 2020 the state issued an extension to October 15 for the COVID-19 statewide eviction moratorium giving renters relief if they were struggling to make their monthly rent payments.

While this has given some flexibility for renters and many property owners are willing and able to cover the shortfall in rental payments, in the long term this is not a sustainable situation. Many rental properties are owned by individual families, themselves under financial stress due to the extended lockdown.

For some property owners, the moratorium on evictions has placed their own homes and safety in jeopardy. The lack of rental income has created a situation where they can’t pay the rental property mortgage and their own home mortgages and are being forced to make a hard choice.

This is a difficult situation for both the renter and property owners. Many reach agreements with payment plans or reduced rent as it is nearly always in the best interest of the renter and property owner for the renter to stay in the property.

The state issued eviction moratorium has two provisions allowing the rental property owner some relief. The property owner can, with a 60-day notice to the renter, either re-occupy the home themselves or sell the home.

It has been suggested that this is a loophole in the moratorium order, but the data would prove otherwise.

In the situation where a property owner can no longer afford to make mortgage payments and they have exhausted any options with their lender, they may be forced to sell the rental property. In Washington, since the beginning of the COVID-19 lockdown, only seven property owners in Washington have been forced to sell or owner occupy a rental property.

It is obvious, landlords are using this moratorium provision only as a last resort and is not being misused systemically. That’s not to say that it couldn’t be abused, but so far, that appears not to be the case.

COVID-19 has made it difficult for renters and property owners to pay the bills. Sometimes the options just run out and hard choices must be made.