TAMPA, Fla. — Pandemic-era eviction protections are fading — leaving some Tampa Bay renters with far less time to pay overdue rent.
During the height of COVID-19, the federal CARES Act required certain properties with federally backed mortgages to provide a 30-day notice before eviction. That applied to units tied to Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and some subsidized housing.
Now, there’s growing uncertainty over whether those protections still apply.
“We had, over the course of the last several years, different agencies adopt elements of the CARES Act into their own rules,” said Eric Garduno with the Bay Area Apartment Association. “And so, for instance, the Department of Housing and Urban Development right now is going through a rule-making to get rid of what they had adopted a few years ago, which was a mirror image of the 30-day notice to vacate requirement from the CARES act, but apply to public housing.”
Garduno says courts across the country are split on the issue.
“Some state supreme courts have found that the CARES Act provision still applies,” Garduno said, “while other state supreme courts have found that it no longer applies, that it ended with the rest of the CARES Act.”
As a result, many properties are returning to Florida’s standard three-day notice — significantly shortening the timeline for tenants.
“If you look at the timeline that pushes you into the next month so that you’re at a point where you’re actually owing two months of rent, and for a lot of families, owing two months of rent at the same time is really, really challenging,” Garduno said.
Housing advocates warn that the shorter window could accelerate evictions.
“Anybody struggling to make ends meet will be impacted,” said Robin Lockett of Florida Rising.
They say renters now have less time to seek help.
“In less time for them to seek rental assistance and less time… to even get legal assistance,” Lockett said.
Advocates urge tenants not to leave without exploring their options.
“If you are in that situation, just stay and fight and inquire about a payment plan,” Lockett said.
Landlords say communication can help prevent evictions.
“As a housing provider, most housing providers will not want to see the residents leave. They want to work with their residents,” Garduno said.
Both sides agree — acting quickly and communicating early can make a difference.
Data from the University of Florida’s Shimberg Center for Housing Studies shows eviction filings in several Florida counties, including Hillsborough and Broward, have climbed above pre-pandemic levels.
Advocates recommend renters seek legal guidance immediately to understand how these changes apply to their situation.