How Hard Is It To Get Evicted In Your State?

Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk,

Eviction protection rules vary widely, state by state, thanks to Covid-19.

Eviction Rules for Renters 

Eviction Lab rates states from 0 to 5 with 5 offering the most renter protection.

The Eviction Lab and Columbia Law School’s Professor Emily Benfer have developed a policy scorecard for each state, distilling the contents of thousands of newly-released emergency orders, declarations, and legislation into a clear set of critical measures included in, and left out of, state-level pandemic responses related to eviction and housing.

State Eviction Ratings

• 4.0 Stars: MA, CT

• 3.5 Stars: DE , NH, NV., MN, OR. IL, WA 

• 3.0 Stars: NY, MI, PA

• 2.5 Stars: NC, KY, HI

• 2.0 Stars: NJ, CA

• 1.5 Stars: ME, AZ, MT

• 1.0 Stars: VT, FL, MD, AK

• 0.5 Stars: IN, CO, WI, OH, NM, VA, IA, ND, RI, UT

• 0.0 Stars: GA, ID, WV, WY, AL, AK, KS, LA, MA, MO, NE, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX

Texas provides an example what 0 stars look like: “Previous court orders limiting eviction proceedings in Texas began expiring in mid-May, and Texas courts did not halt accepting eviction hearings.”

Florida, rated 1 star, has measures in place until July 1 but allows local discretion.

North Carolina rated 2.74 stars, has measures in place until June 21, with a grace period to pay rent and a prohibition on late fees during the pandemic.

Massachusetts, top rated at 4.15 stars, established a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the pandemic and for 45 days after the state of emergency is lifted.

Cascading Problems

If you are a small-time landlord in one of the states where it is hard to evict, you will have a problem paying the mortgage on your properties if your tenant does not pay. 

It’s easy to say don’t evict, but there are cascading consequences and not every case is the same.