HOW TO SURVIVE THE MORATORIUM: PT 1

Can I Get Evicted During The “Eviction Moratorium”? Yes. But not for non-payment. 

However, landlords are now looking for other violations, many of which would not have merited any of their attention before the “moratorium”, and are now using these violations to effectively evict renters for non-payment by another name. What are the chances a landlord would evict a renter who is paying rent for having an unruly patio if they are under SUCH extreme financial hardship as they claim?

Here are some examples of lease violations we have seen used as justification for eviction by landlords and property managers in court since the “moratorium” began. 

REMEMBER - these are allegations. You can dispute them, or ask for time to remedy them. But you need to show up to court to fight them. If you have been served a notice of eviction for any of these, or similar, reasons, reach out to us for guidance. We are here to support you!

1. Damage to units or failure to keep clean & sanitary conditions.

Property managers are looking for any type of mess they can complain about. Re-read your lease to see which maintenance duties fall to whom and to the best of your ability maintain the unit/rental.

Examples: broken windows, trash visible in yard, unkempt lawn. 

2. Subletting rooms or taking on new roommates without permission from the landlord.

Examples: allowing family or friends, or a significant other move in without landlord’s consent. If you sublet without permission, you’re not only endangering yourself but someone else as well: don’t help landlords create more unhoused tenants! 

3. Using your unit for unauthorized commercial activity or purposes.

Examples: opening an unlicensed business or shop in your living room to supplement  income.

4. Disturbing other tenant’s “quiet enjoyment” of their units.    

Examples: creating excessive noise despite complaints. Yelling in the commons area at night. Being racist to neighbors (don’t DM us if you did).

5. Unauthorized Pets or Pet Nuisances.   

Example: to deal with the loneliness of quarantine a tenant takes on a new pet without permission from landlord.

Tenant lets their pet roam around unleashed.

6. Harming or threatening others, other tenants, or the landlord.   

Examples: tenant gets into physical altercation with landlord after landlord harasses the tenant for payment. A tenant gets into a physical altercation with another tenant due to parking issues. A tenant gets into a fight with an acquaintance they invited over. A tenant has physical altercation with their roommate.

7. Parking & Commons Space Violations 

Examples: tenants improperly use yard to park vehicles, park in reserved spots, or have friends park where they shouldn’t. Tenants using their yards to do auto repair work. 

Image: a notice detailing a lease violation for the following: “As of (redacted) you were again parking multiple vehicles on your rental space in non-designated areas, along with an inoperable vehicle parked on the street in a non-designated area.”

8. Anyone “in the tenant’s control” can also commit the offenses we listed

Example: if a tenant’s friend or visitor commits an offense, the landlord can then cite the tenant for lease violation.