Whether you support the eviction moratorium or not, it is definitely not fair.

A one sided solution.

By simply ruling that tenants do not have to pay their rent at the agreed upon time, you are damaging the landlord. Is there a way to avoid this? Since it is government policy that is causing this, why should the landlord bear the burden alone? Even if the tenant still owes that back rent, the landlord still has to pay the mortgage, taxes and other associated monthly costs on time.

So what would be fair.

I would love to hear what you think might be fair, but I will offer some suggestions that I believe would make it a far more balanced solution.

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Assuming landlords are  the ‘evil rich’.

The narrative in the press seems to lean mostly into the idea that all these landlords are flush with cash and are in a far better position to weather having their income cut. From my experience, this is simply not the case. Most landlords for single family homes that I work with count on the rental income to not only cover the costs of owning the home, but to supplement their income – some in their retirement.

Sources

https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/understanding-evictions-in-oakland

https://www.oaklandca.gov/services/important-covid-19-information

A win for East Bay renters: COVID eviction protections will stay for now, judge rules