Evictions and tenant‐landlord relationships during the 2020–2021 eviction moratorium in the US

This study provisionally examined the effects of the US eviction moratorium instituted in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. Three waves of data collected May 2020–April 2021 from a nationally representative sample of middle‐ and low‐income US tenants (n = 3393 in Wave 1, n = 1311 in Wave 2, and 814 in Wave 3) were analyzed. Across three waves, 4.3% of tenants reported experiencing an eviction during the moratorium and 6%–23% of tenants reported delaying paying rent because of the moratorium. Multivariable analyses found that tenants who delayed paying their rent, were female, or had a history of mental illness or substance use disorder were more likely to report the eviction moratorium had a negative effect on their landlord relationship. COVID‐19 infection was not predictive of eviction but tenants with a history of homelessness were more than nine times as likely to report an eviction than those without such a history. Together, these findings suggest the eviction moratorium may have had some unintended consequences on rent payments and tenant‐landlord relationships that need to be considered with the end of the federal eviction moratorium. Key points 4.3% of tenants still reported experiencing an eviction during the moratorium. Tenants with a history of homelessness were nine times more likely to be evicted. Tenants who delayed paying rent were likely to report a deteriorated tenant‐landlord relationship. Tenants with mental illness were more likely to delay paying rent during the moratorium. COVID‐19 infection was not predictive of eviction.