Property owners and landlords helped renters with eviction-mitigation efforts and offered solutions for residents facing financial hardships during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new survey from the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC).
The NMHC Pulse Survey on Eviction Mitigation Practices ran from July 19 to July 26, with 74 leading multifamily firms responding. Landlords helped renters and the most widely offered assistance options included:
- Payment plans – 100 percent
- Waived late fees – 96 percent
- Deferred payments – 78 percent
- Extended, shortened or other changes to lease terms – 58 percent
- Cash for keys – 54 percent
- Fee-free ability to charge rent on credit card – 50 percent
The survey also asked what additional steps firms took to support residents during the pandemic:
- Increased cleaning and sanitation – 95 percent
- Connecting residents with food banks, charities, and other local support resources – 86 percent
- Informing residents of healthcare protocols and best practices – 86 percent
- Hosting virtual social or exercise events – 57 percent
- Creating on-site services at communities to support residents – 50 percent
- Made it easier to work from home – 49 percent
“At the onset of the pandemic we issued a call to our industry to halt evictions, create payment plans and work with residents as they faced this unprecedented hardship. The new data demonstrate how both the multifamily industry and residents alike made monumental sacrifices to meet their obligations during this crisis,” said NMHC President Doug Bibby in a release.
“As we transition away from these emergency pandemic orders, we ask apartment firms to continue their efforts to work with residents during this wind-down period,” Bibby said.
The full survey results are available here.
