Pandemic Expirations- Is It Finally Ending?

   As of March 1st, many of the limitations imposed on landlords have expired. After over two years, even though we all knew the deadline was coming, it caught us by surprise. We’ve been living in the “new normal” for so long that it was feeling normal, disturbingly so. But, believe it or not, it is coming to an end. 

As of the 1st of this month, landlords are allowed to do the following:

• Apply submitted rent payments to outstanding rent, regardless of directed application by tenant. 
• May send notifications of balances due without stating “eviction for nonpayment of rent, charges and fees accrued from April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021, is not allowed before February 28, 2022.”
• May issue termination notices for non-paymnet of rent without stating that:
  • Eviction for nonpayment of rent, charges and fees that accrued on and after April 1, 2020, and before June 30, 2021, is not allowed
    before February 28, 2022; and
  • Information regarding tenant resources is available at www.211info.org.

Some protections are still in force. If tenants supply written proof of application for rental assistance, landlords may not take any action while the application is pending. This means landlords and property managers may not:

• Deliver a termination notice for non-paymant; or
• Initiate or continue an action for possession based on a termination notice for non-payment. 

Those protections remain in effection until October 1st. 

Temporary protections are still in effect until September 30th, 2022

Until October 1, 2022, housing providers must still:

1. Provide 10 days’ notice (not 72 hours’ notice) on all non-payment of rent notices to renters.

2. Provide specific disclosures in non-payment of rent notices to renters related to rental assistance and eviction protection.

There is plenty changing in the rest of the state, outside of real estate. The mask mandate just dropped. Spring is just around the corner and the weather is warming. Outside of the state, the country has certainly seen better days. Outside of the country, the world isn’t in the best shape. But we can’t change that. What we can do is our best. With this one email to an owner, this email to an applicant, the next phone call. Not everyone has a lot to give, but a smile is free.

Happy Landlording!