State Legislators Aim to Prevent Evictions After Pandemic Ends
A trio of New York State legislators introduced a bill yesterday that would prevent tenants from being evicted for non-payment of rent for the next several months, in hopes of providing a cushion to renters struggling because of the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a 90-day eviction moratorium on March 20, but tenant advocates have worried that thousands of New Yorkers would still be booted from their homes over unpaid rent after the moratorium expires. The “Tenant Safe Harbor Act” would prohibit landlords from evicting tenants for nonpayment of rent that accrued during the coronavirus-induced state of emergency (which began March 7) through six months after the state of emergency ends. The press release detailing the bill notes that landlords would be able to seek money judgments for unpaid rent during this period, but tenants could not be evicted for failing to pay rent.
