Criteria Tenants Must Meet Under the Eviction Moratorium

Here are the six criteria a tenant must meet to be protected from eviction.

Whether you’re a landlord or tenant, you need to know about the new CDC eviction moratorium. Here are the criteria a tenant must meet to be covered under the new guidelines:

1. They must have made their best effort to obtain government assistance. There are many programs to assist tenants, including one just for Florida residents. 

2. They can’t earn more than $99,000 per year. If they’re filing jointly, this number increases to $198,000. Most tenants in our area are making below these numbers.

3. They must prove significant loss due to COVID. The loss can be in wages, work hours, or any kind of income they can prove. This keeps people from using the moratorium as just an excuse not to pay rent. 

4. They must have made an effort to make partial payments. If they’re not paying at all, saying they have no money, they likely won’t be covered under the moratorium. Tenants must be making regular partial payments on time in an effort to get caught up.

​​​​​​<div class="pullquote">“There are many programs to assist tenants, including one just for Florida residents.”</div>

5. They cannot be rendered homeless due to eviction. If you evict them and that would make them homeless or force them into a shared, congregate living space, they’re covered. I’m not sure how they would prove this; I’m assuming it would be in a court setting. 

6. They must reside in a county with high COVID transmission rates. Right now, most of Florida falls under that category, as does most of the South, and that may spread to other parts of the country as the seasons change. 

If you have any questions about these guidelines or want me to connect you with Seth Rostine, a friend and attorney who handles all of our evictions, feel free to get a hold of me via phone or email. I would love to help you.