Attorney General Mark Herring Outlines Tenant Protections During COVID-19 Pandemic

RICHMOND (July 14, 2020) – Attorney General Mark R. Herring today issued an advisory opinion outlining the various state and federal tenant protections that are currently in place to help Virginians stay in their homes during the deadly COVID-19 pandemic. Attorney General Herring highlights protections included in the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act); state protections included in the 2020 Virginia Act of Assembly; and other entities that have authority in these situations.

“As the coronavirus continues to drastically impact communities across the Commonwealth, and as we continue to ask Virginians to stay home to prevent further spread, it is crucial for people to know what their options are,” said Attorney General Herring. “The pandemic has taken a very real toll on Virginia’s economy and tens of thousands of Virginians, many of whom are hourly workers, have found themselves without a source of income during these difficult times. We are still in the middle of a state of emergency and a public health crisis and it’s so important for Virginians to be able to stay in their homes to keep themselves, their families, and their communities safe.”

Federal CARES Act Protections

In his advisory opinion, Attorney General Herring explains that there are both federal and state protections in place for tenants during this time. First, he discusses the federal CARES Act “which contains multiple provisions to address the economic impact of COVID-19, including a temporary moratorium on eviction filings.” In this case, covered properties include “rental homes in certain properties subsidized or backed by the U.S. government”, which means properties that:

participate in federal assistance programs;
are subject to a federally backed mortgage loan;
are subject to a multi-family federally backed mortgage loan.

Read more: https://bluevirginia.us/2020/07/82504