They’ve taken trips to Hawaii and Paris. One went to Mexico and swam with dolphins.
Others took small getaways to San Francisco, Yosemite and Big Bear.
These are all vacations that landlords claim their tenants have taken during the pandemic, likely on their dime, because their tenants weren’t paying rent.
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“For the last two or three years, I haven’t been able to do anything for my family. We haven’t gone anywhere because of the financial hardship,” said Monica, one landlord the I-Team spoke to.
Monica didn't want to use her last name because she’s afraid of retaliation by her tenant. She said her tenant has a job, but often didn’t pay rent during the pandemic. Yet, she took a family trip to Hawaii.
And as the eviction moratorium is extended yet again, Monica said her tenant likely won’t pay rent, adding to the $20,000 the tenant already owes in back rent. Monica said she can no longer afford to keep the house.
“My life decisions are put on hold. By the government,” she said.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the pendulum has swung too far toward tenant protections, and now landlords need some help.
“There’s no question that individuals have the ability to begin to pay rent again. So it’s time for us to move away from the eviction moratorium,” she said.
Barger proposed, and the Board of Supervisors approved, a new $45 million fund to help small landlords recoup some unpaid rent.
“We have an obligation, a moral and ethical obligation, to get this money out there as quickly as possible, in an equitable way that ensures the mom and pops are given first priority,” Barger said.
But there is a caveat to taking the money: landlords cannot evict the tenant for at least one year.
Monica said that doesn’t work for her. She said she can no longer afford to house a tenant who doesn’t pay rent. And she said she’s lost any hope that the government is looking out for her.
“If I were to give you a comparison, it feels like I’m bound to this chair, my hands chopped off, my legs chopped off, and I have no options,” she said.
Landlord advocates said they’re happy to see Los Angeles County ponying up some money, but they said it’s not nearly enough to cover all the unpaid rent. In fact, Supervisor Barger said that number could be close to $1 billion.
