Piecemeal Eviction Protections Leave Residents Confused and Uncertain

In the absence of any national ban on evictions during the pandemic, tenants struggling to pay their rent are at the mercy of a patchwork of narrow and temporary local protections, reports CNBC.

TLSC Client Jennifer was protected by a local eviction moratorium when her landlord moved to evict her. "It's extremely scary," described Baird. “At least in my house, I can protect myself."

Some landlords overlook local protections or take advantage of the uncertainty to push tenants out — 90% of legal aid and civil rights attorneys reported illegal evictions in their area.

Tenants often don’t know that they have rights when it comes to evictions, even outside of a pandemic.

But less than 10% of renters facing eviction have a lawyer, compared to 90% of landlords. Those Texans needing help with evictions should visit our partner site TexasLawHelp.org.

See additional coverage by CNBC: Evictions are expected to skyrocket as pandemic protections come to an end