Eviction Lab Research

Peter Hepburn and Renee Louis

November 15, 2020

Preliminary Analysis: Eviction Filings During and After Local Eviction Moratoria

In this brief, we examine effects of local moratoria. Specifically, we ask two questions. First, how far below historical average were eviction filings when these local moratoria were in place? Second, what happened when they were lifted?

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Peter Hepburn and Renee Louis

September 22, 2020

Preliminary Analysis: Shifts in Eviction Filings from the CARES Act to the CDC Order

Two major eviction-related shifts have occurred in the U.S. over the last month. Data from the Eviction Tracking System (ETS) allow us to assess what effects those changes have had and where new eviction filings stand in cities across the U.S.

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Lillian Leung, Peter Hepburn, and Matthew Desmond

September 15, 2020

Serial Eviction Filings: How Landlords Use the Courts to Collect Rent

We often associate “eviction” with displacement and removal, boxes and furniture thrown to the curb. When a landlord files to evict a tenant—whether for nonpayment of rent or for property damage—we assume they do so to move them out. While some landlords do file intending to remove tenants, others use eviction filings as a way to collect rent and additional fees.

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The Eviction Lab and Emily Benfer

September 4, 2020

Update on the Federal Eviction Moratorium and the Eviction Lab's COVID-19 Projects

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued an order, effective from September 4th, 2020 and extended to June 30, 2021, that provides protection from eviction to prevent the further spread of COVID-19. Although many questions about the order remain, to the best of our knowledge, this emergency action prohibits new and previously filed evictions of tenants who provide their landlords with a signed declaration stating that they meet all of the following criteria:

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Renee Louis, Alieza Durana, and Peter Hepburn

August 27, 2020

Preliminary Analysis: Eviction Claim Amounts During the COVID-19 Pandemic

In three of the counties we track, we are able to collect an important data point: the amount of money, if any, that the landlord or property manager claims is owed by the tenant. Here, we look at the amounts claimed at the initiation of the eviction process.

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