National Federal Eviction Moratorium

Learn About Protections and Steps Renters Must Take!

A federal eviction moratorium issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is in effect from September 4, 2020 to March 31, 2021. The temporary moratorium on evictions extends vital protections to tens of millions of renters at risk of eviction for nonpayment of rent during the global pandemic.

The federal eviction moratorium is essential relief for struggling renters, but it merely postpones evictions – it doesn’t prevent them. When the moratorium expires on March 31, 2021, back rent will be due, and renters will be unable to pay. In the meantime, small landlords who rely on rental income to maintain and operate their properties will increasingly struggle to pay their bills.

What’s Next?

To be protected, qualified renters facing eviction should immediately provide a signed declaration to their landlords. For more details about the moratorium and a sample declaration that renters can use, read NLIHC’s and NHLP’s Overview of National Eviction Moratorium and our National Eviction Moratorium: FAQ for Renters

An emergency COVID-19 relief measure enacted in December 2020 included $25 billion in emergency rental assistance. While the relief bill provided essential and desperately needed protections for renters, additional resources and protections are needed. Congress must provide at least $100 billion in emergency rental assistance to keep renters stably housed during and after the pandemic and to ensure we don’t lose any of our country’s essential housing stock. Learn about NLIHC’s top priorities to ensure housing stability during the pandemic.

Read NLIHC, NHLP, and Eviction Lab’s Housing Priorities for the Biden-Harris Administration: Enact a Broad Eviction Moratorium

Learn More

Join NLIHC’s national call on coronavirus, disasters, housing and homelessness every Monday at 2:30-4:00 pm ET for an in-depth discussion on the federal eviction moratorium and critical steps renters must take to ensure they are protected. Our partners who are experts on the moratorium, evictions, and state partners who are working with renters on the ground, will join us for the discussions.

NLIHC’s estimate of how much emergency rental assistance each state will receive under the proposal (note: these estimates combine allocations to the state government and local jurisdictions within each state).

Take Action

Share information with renters about the federal eviction moratorium and the steps they must take to be protected! See NLIHC and NHLP’s Overview and FAQ for more details on the moratorium and a sample declaration form that renters can use.
Use social media to tell Congress that housing stability during and after this pandemic cannot wait. Call out the need for #RentReliefNow using our sample social media posts and images. Tag your member of Congress and demand action!
Contact your senators and representatives: Demand that Congress and the White House restart negotiations and pass additional resources and protections to address the health and housing needs of America’s lowest-income renters and people experiencing homelessness. Find the phone numbers of your members of Congress here or send an email!
Use NLIHC’s Advocacy Toolkit to urge Congress to take immediate action to ensure people get and stay stably housed.
Publish op-eds and letters to the editor in your local papers using NLIHC’s media toolkit here.
NEW: Add your organization to NLIHC’s national letter demanding that the CDC:
- Extend the federal eviction moratorium through the end of the pandemic;
- Strengthen the moratorium by making it an automatic and universal moratorium, or, at a minimum, require landlords to provide notice to renters of their rights under the CDC moratorium and prohibit landlords from filing or advancing eviction proceedings unless they attest that they have not received a signed declarative statement from tenants;
- Rescind the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document issued on October 9 that creates loopholes in the moratorium’s protections making it more difficult for struggling renters to remain stably housed; and
- Commit to enforcing the moratorium and create a mechanism for renters to file complaints against landlords who violate it.