A short-term extension of the federal eviction moratorium did not materialize over the weekend, so many Nevadans received an evacuation notice on Monday.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention followed their earlier decision not to extend their temporary eviction ban after July 31. That decision ended nearly a year of protection for renters who were unable to pay rent during the pandemic.
Thousands in the Las Vegas Valley face potential evictions after the moratorium ends, and many are seeking advice and help.
“Our phones rang non-stop today,” said Jim Berchtold, senior attorney for the Legal Aid Center of the Consumer Rights Project in southern Nevada. “Most tenants are completely confused about how to protect themselves.”
Berchtold said the end of the eviction moratorium also means that eviction cases before the pandemic, which were paused because of the state and federal moratorium, can now be continued.
Kaila Leavitt, president of Leavitt evictions, said she even received calls from tenants seeking help despite her company serving landlords.
“Of course, when I tell tenants that we only help landlords, I’ll be called by every name in the book, and not in a good way,” she said.
Help for tenants
State and local politicians have been saying for months that tenants should take steps to protect themselves, such as: B. Apply for rental support and communicate with your landlord about possible payment plans. And the message has not changed with the end of the federal moratorium, according to Berchtold.
He said the organization continues to instruct tenants to take the following steps:
– Apply for the CARES Housing Assistance Program or CHAP
– Submit an answer to the court if you have received an eviction notice
– Choose mediation when submitting their response and notify the court if they have a CHAP request pending
– If you have any questions, contact the Legal Aid Center at 702-386-1070 or visit the Civil Law Self-Help Center on the first floor of the Regional Justice Center in downtown Las Vegas for personal assistance
Bursting bubble
While Nevadans are no longer protected from an eviction notice, state safeguards are offered through the recently passed Assembly Bill 486, which initially delays the eviction process by at least 30 days.
Susy Vasquez, executive director of the Nevada State Apartment Association, said the bill had cushioned the effects of the end of the moratorium.
“Residents applying for rent allowance can stay in their homes pending a decision on their application,” said Vasquez.
AB486 allows tenants with a CHAP request pending to suspend their eviction or pause until the request is processed, even if it will take several months. A tenant must inform the court of a pending rental application.
If a tenant approves the rent subsidy, the payment is made to the landlord. The tenant’s action for eviction will then be rejected and the landlord may not evacuate the tenant for at least another 90 days.
The bill also allows an eligible landlord to apply for rent allowance on behalf of a tenant. The landlord has to wait up to 60 days after submitting the application so that a housing or social welfare office can contact the tenant. If the tenant does not respond to the agency or request rental support during this period, the landlord may receive payment if they do not vacate the tenant for 90 days.
Vasquez said landlords are taking their time because of the waiting time branded on AB486.
“Landlords are in no hurry to quit the apartment when they know they have an application for rent allowance pending,” she said. “However, an eviction notice will be sent to all tenants who refuse to file an application or who we know were not affected and refuse to pay.”
Some landlords are taking their time while others find their eagerness to expedite the eviction process after learning about AB486, Leavitt said.
“The AB486 statement really dampens the joy of starting the process the first time they call,” she said. “At the end of the conversation you can tell that they feel defeated.”
Leavitt said she had some eviction notices scheduled for Monday, but most were for evictions for no reason and not for non-payment of rent notices.
“I anticipate a deluge of evictions coming my way, but the real question is, how many of those who walk through will be hampered by AB486?”
Contact Subrina Hudson at shudson@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0340. Follow @SubrinaH on Twitter.
