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
