DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - In the state of Illinois, tenants have until the fifth of every month to pay the rent they owe.
That can present a challenge, since COVID-19 has forced millions of people out of work. Fortunately, renters have some breathing room.
The CDC recently enacted an eviction moratorium. Under the Public Health Service Act of 1944, evicting people from their homes is an "historic threat to public health." No matter how long the delay is, the rent is still due. That includes landlords.
Heather Wiegand is a landlord and the president of the Decatur Landlords Association. WAND also reached out to Andrew Timms, another landlord who is the president of the Illinois Rental Property Owners Association. While Timms said he's fortunate to make ends meet, Wiegand is working overtime to stay afloat.
"For short term relief there's not anything out there for landlords," Wiegand said. "We've [she and her husband] recently tried to get additional funds and the bank is using different criteria for judgement than they were six months ago."
Timms' concern is a renter could take advantage of the moratorium for the wrong reasons. He expressed to WAND landlords are not permitted to have their grievances heard in court.
"It's the ones that are deliberately ignoring their responsibilities," Timms added. "And that sort of behavior we would like to have consequences for."
Reports show the moratorium applies to renters who earn less than $99,000 in 2020. For joint filers, renters have to earn less than $198,000. Frankly, renters need to show they're legitimately struggling financially. Both landlords, however, would like to see Congress do something for them.
"We're all human beings, that's what everyone keeps saying," Wiegand said. "We're all in this together."
