SPOKANE, Wash. — Rent is due on May 1, but for many people affected by the coronavirus and its economic fallout, paying it is easier said than done.
Despite some calls for rent freezes, strikes, or cancellations, you'll still eventually have to pay rent no matter what.
But depending on whether you live in Washington or Idaho, there may be some government protections that allow you to pay rent later with minimal consequences.
Idaho
In Idaho, there has been no executive or legislative action to protect renters, with a small exception of some extremely limited measures in Boise.
But, an order by the state supreme court might help.
Because of the coronavirus, many types of hearings have been put on hold, and that includes most evictions. The only listed exception is evictions related to drug crimes.
So, in theory, if you don't pay rent this month, you would not be evicted right away. But landlords can still start the proceedings, and then evict you as soon as hearings are allowed again.
Washington
Meanwhile in Washington, Governor Inslee has ordered extensive protections for renters. He's dramatically expanded a previous order to reduce any harm caused by not paying rent.
The current order essentially bans all evictions unless there's proof the tenant poses immediate danger to health or safety.
Property owners also can't force you to switch units or charge any kind of late fees due to non-payment.
Furthermore, they're not allowed to threaten to do any of those things later because you aren't paying now.
Finally, you will have to pay the rent eventually, but under this order, your landlord has to work out a reasonable payment plan. They can't treat back rent as enforceable debt, meaning they can't evict you for it, use a collections agency, or report it to a credit agency. There is an exception for those things, however, if you refuse to come to and abide by a reasonable payment agreement.
Mortgages
The federal government has offered some limited assistance when it comes to mortgages via measures includes in the stimulus package.
However, these only pertain if your mortgage is federally backed, such as through Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac.
For those people, there's a temporary stay on foreclosures until mid-May. You also have the right to request a forbearance if you've been hurt financially by COVID.
Also, if your mortgage is federally-backed, you can't evict any tenants you might have, no matter what state you're in, until mid-July.
This could mean that if the Idaho Supreme Court lifts its hearings restrictions before mid-July, renters whose landlords have federally-backed mortgages could still avoid eviction a little longer.
If your mortgage isn't federally backed, there don't seem to be any explicit protections, but governments have encouraged mortgage servicers to work out plans with financially stressed lenders.
Bottom line
No matter where you live, if you're able, paying your rent or mortgage on time will help you avoid a lot of grief in the future.
In Idaho, failure to likely will not result in immediate eviction, but you could very well be evicted later.
In Washington, failure to pay rent during the pandemic can't hurt you much. But, you'll still need to pay the money eventually via a payment plan you work out with your landlord.