Realtor groups sue to block federal eviction ban

State realtor associations allege CDC does not have power to protect renters

President Donald Trump (Getty)
President Donald Trump (Getty)

The Alabama Association of Realtors and the Georgia Association of Realtors are attempting to cancel the nationwide eviction ban.

The ban, issued in September by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prevents evictions through Dec. 31 for renters making no more than $99,000 this year, or up to $198,000 for couples.

However, the National Association of Realtors and other housing groups say that such moratoriums cause “chaos” as they do not set aside funds for renters or property owners, according to Inman.

Read more

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter

By signing up, you agree to TheRealDeal Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

“In many cases, these landlords … are small business owners who have themselves suffered economic losses as a result of the pandemic,” the complaint states. “The Eviction Moratorium will cause landlords across the country to lose [$55 billion to $76 billion] in unpaid rent — and billions more if the Eviction Moratorium is extended into 2021.”

The lawsuit alleges that the CDC does not have the power to enact such a ban.

Other groups, such as the National Apartment Association, have filed similar lawsuits against the federal government in attempts to stop the ban.

[Inman] — Sasha Jones