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SResearch Service
The CDC's Federal Eviction Moratorium
Updated June 30, 2021
On September 4, 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) imposed a nationwide
temporary federal moratorium on residential evictions for nonpayment of rent. The order is intended to
prevent the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) by preventing homelessness and
overcrowded housing conditions resulting from eviction. The action, which followed an Executive Order
directing the CDC to consider such a measure, was unprecedented, both in terms of the federal reach into
what is traditionally state and local governance of landlord-tenant law and its use of a public health
authority. Since the issuance of the order, several courts have issued conflicting decisions on the eviction
moratorium's legality and, while no court has issued an order enjoining the moratorium's enforcement
nationwide, the conflicting judicial rulings have left a cloud of uncertainty regarding the order's
enforceability.
Overview
The CDC eviction moratorium took effect on September 4, 2020, shortly after the expiration of a
narrower set of eviction protections established by the CARES Act (§4024). The original CDC order had
an expiration date of December 31, 2020. Prior to its expiration, it was extended legislatively through
January 31, 2021. The CDC administratively extended the order three additional times: through March
31, 2021, June 30, 2021, and July 31, 2021. The latest order stated that absent an unexpected change in
the trajectory of the pandemic, CDC does not expect to extend the Order further.
The CDC's national eviction moratorium applies to all renters who attest to meeting the order's income
and other eligibility criteria. The criteria include having made all efforts to obtain government assistance
for rent and being at risk of homelessness or overcrowded housing conditions upon eviction. Renters must
assert their right to protection under the order by submitting a signed declaration of eligibility to their
landlords. The CDC moratorium does not supersede more protective state and local government eviction
protections.
The moratorium prohibits evictions only for nonpayment of rent and related fees, not other causes, and it
does not prohibit landlords from charging fees or penalties, nor does it forgive unpaid rent amounts.
The CDC order contains several enforcement provisions, including penalties for landlords that violate the
order and a penalty of perjury for tenants who falsely declare their eligibility. On April 19, 2021, the
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau published a rule requiring debt collectors-which can include
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