The last of the pandemic-era eviction moratoriums have expired, and millions of American renters are now navigating a housing market with far fewer safety nets.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention order ended in August 2021, and the Supreme Court declined to extend it.
Since then, state and local protections have largely sunset, leaving tenants to face eviction proceedings under standard pre-pandemic rules.
For renters who fell behind, the shift is jarring.
During the moratoriums, landlords could still file paperwork, but courts couldn't remove tenants for nonpayment in many jurisdictions.
Today, a missed payment can lead to a court date within weeks, and a judgment can follow quickly.
That timeline leaves little room for workers whose hours were cut or whose child care costs spiked.
The numbers tell a story of mounting pressure.
According to the Eviction Lab at Princeton University, eviction filings in many cities have surpassed pre-pandemic levels.
In some Sun Belt metros, filings are running 30% to 50% higher than the historical average.
Renters of color and single mothers remain disproportionately affected, a pattern that echoes the pre-2020 housing crisis.
Part of the problem is that emergency rental assistance has run dry.
The Treasury Department's Emergency Rental Assistance program distributed over $46 billion, but most states exhausted their funds by 2023.
New applications now face waiting lists or closed portals.
Without that cushion, a single unexpected expense — a car repair, a medical bill, a cut in overtime — can tip a household into eviction court.
Landlords, meanwhile, say they're not the villains.
Many small property owners carried mortgages and property taxes through the moratoriums without the ability to collect rent.
Some sold their units, reducing the supply of affordable rentals.
Others raised rents to cover deferred maintenance and higher insurance costs.
The result is a tighter market where even tenants with steady jobs struggle to absorb annual increases of 5% to 10%.
Eviction procedures vary by state, and some cities still require mediation or a notice period before a filing.
Second, apply for any remaining aid — nonprofit groups and local housing authorities may have funds that aren't widely advertised.
Third, if you receive a court summons, show up.
Tenants who appear in court often negotiate more time or a payment plan, while those who ignore the notice lose by default.
Credit card debt is another pressure point.
Average annual percentage rates on cards are hovering near record highs, so using plastic to cover rent is a costly stopgap.
A $1,500 balance carried for six months at 22% APR adds roughly $165 in interest — money that could have gone toward the next month's rent.
Budgeting apps and nonprofit credit counselors can help identify which bills to prioritize.
The bottom line is that the eviction safety net is gone, and the housing market has not replaced it.
Renters need to act early, document everything, and treat any court notice as urgent.
Landlords and policymakers, meanwhile, face a choice: invest in long-term rental assistance or watch eviction filings climb further. **Our take:** The end of moratoriums was inevitable, but the absence of a permanent rental safety net is a policy failure.
A one-time crisis program was never going to fix a structural shortage of affordable housing.
Final Thoughts
Renters should assume no rescue is coming and plan accordingly, while voters should demand solutions that go beyond temporary orders.