There is a new law that can protect you from getting evicted if you owe rent due to COVID-19.
You must take these steps to protect yourself and your family:
- Your landlord may send you a special form that says you can’t pay rent due to COVID-19. You must sign and return this form within 15 days each month you get one. The form tells your landlord you had trouble paying rent due to COVID-19 and can protect you from being evicted.
- You don’t have to wait for your landlord to give you the Declaration form. You can find the form at housingiskey.com. If you owe rent, you can print and sign the form and send it to your landlord right away.
- ONLY if you owe rent that is due between September 1, 2020, to January 31, 2021, you must take another step. Pay your landlord 25% of the all rent you owe between September 1, 2020, and January 31, 2021. This 25% is due by January 31, 2021. You can either make a payment each month for 25% of your rent, or you can make one big payment of 25% for all you owe by January 31, 2021. When you send a payment, make sure you write which month it is for and get a receipt.
Your landlord can collect all of the unpaid rent in court starting in March 2021, but they cannot evict you because of it.
You will have to start paying your rent in full on February 1, 2021.
Learn more