Governor Andrew Cuomo has extended a ban on evictions through August 20th to protect renters in New York who have lost their jobs or been furloughed due to the coronavirus shutdown.
Cuomo says the June 1st ban on evictions will be extended until late August, and there will also be a ban on landlords charging late fees for rental payments. Renters can also use their security deposits toward rent. The governor say he hopes it eases people’s minds.
“The number one issue that people talk to me about probably is rent, and fear of paying their rent,” Cuomo said. “This takes the issue off the table.”
The governor says he can’t predict what will happen after August 20th, but says the state “will handle it” when that time comes.
“That’s what we’ve been doing all along,” said Cuomo who says many decisions about how to react to the pandemic are being made on a two-week basis.
The governor acknowledged that this will cause a hardship on landlords, especially when you consider the ban on evictions applies to commercial properties too. But he said that owners have other federal relief available to them through the CARES Act.
"We stopped the foreclosures on the landlords, but you're right. There's no doubt a tradeoff between the tenant and the landlord. We're helping the landlords also."
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