Landlords Can Begin Evicting On June 21: These Are Your Rights

WUNC | By Frank Stasio,

Published June 12, 2020 at 1:19 PM EDT

Eviction moratoriums are set to be lifted later this month. North Carolina residents are left wondering what the next steps will be with rent and evictions.

Updated June 19, 3:30 p.m.

Chief Justice Cheri Beasley’s moratorium against evictions ends on June 21. Those living in federally-subsidized housing — also called Section 8 — have until July 25.

Host Frank Stasio discusses impending housing insecurity and its links to health risks, especially among North Carolina Latinos, with attorney Sarah D'Amato and Associate Professor Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda.

On those deadlines, landlords may begin serving eviction notices, and then tenants have 30 days to respond either through the court or by paying owed rent. For non-English speakers in North Carolina, fighting against eviction can be confusing. Host Frank Stasio discusses possible steps to stay in one’s home with Sarah D’Amato, a staff attorney for Legal Aid of North Carolina. To learn more about the health risks posed by housing insecurity, especially among North Carolina Latinos, Stasio talks with Rosa Gonzalez-Guarda,an associate professor at Duke University School of Nursing and the co-director of the community engagement core for Duke’s Clinical Translational Science Institute.

Here are thing for tenants to keep in mind as the deadline approaches, according to Legal Aid North Carolina Staff Attoney Sarah D'Amato:

You have six months to pay June’s rent:Under the Governor's Executive Order 142, landlords must allow tenants six months to pay June's rent. Tenants are encouraged to be proactive about making payment plans with landlords.
Pay what you can:The moratoriums do not relieve tenants of the duty to pay rent. Pay what you can, when you can, to avoid a large balance down the road.
Check for late fees:Check your ledgers and bills to make sure you aren't charged a late fee for June. If you have been assessed a late fee, ask to have it removed.
Federal loans offer extension:If your rental property is backed by a federal loan or you are a recipient of a Section 8 voucher, extra protections are available under the federal CARES Act. Under the act, landlords are not allowed to issue a notice to vacate over nonpayment of rent between March 23 and July 24. They may not assess late fees during this time, though the rent remains due. To determine if your apartment is covered under the CARES Act, tenants canlookup their property here.
No padlocks:Landlords may not lock tenants out of their homes for any reason without first going through the court process.
You can still be evicted for other reasons:The moratoriums do not prohibit a landlord from evicting a person for other issues not related to non-payment of rent.

Note: This post was updated on June 19 to include additional information.