Negotiations and Mediation Can Provide Better Options For Florida Landlords and Tenants Dealing With COVID-19 Eviction Matters

TheCOVID-19 pandemic has created a housing crisis across the United States. Layoffs, reduced hours, and small business closures mean that tenants are unable to pay rent. Landlords have been prevented from evicting many tenants due to emergency state laws and the current CDC ban on residential evictions. This has created a financial burden on both landlords and tenants, and the situation only gets worse as the pandemic drags on.

Luckily, there is a way that a housing lawyer can help both sides mitigate their losses. Eviction is a costly process. Landlords must usually hire a lawyer to prepare the paperwork and argue their case to a judge, pay for a process server to deliver the notices in accordance with state law, and cover other administrative costs. Tenants, meanwhile, are left with the uncertainty of not knowing where they will live at a time when there is an uncontrolled spread of a deadly disease. They do not have to go to court to resolve their differences.

An attorney can help landlords and tenants negotiate a resolution that works for both parties. For example, if a tenant agrees to leave voluntarily, he or she can avoid having an eviction on their record and find alternative housing more easily. This allows the landlord to re-let the property without incurring the costs of eviction. If the tenant wants to stay, the parties might be able to agree to a repayment plan in order to avoid the costs of the eviction.

A lawyer can help negotiate the terms of a repayment plan – and also connect them with emergency housing funds that can help cover some of the past due rent. These are only a few of the many potential negotiations that can help landlords and tenants resolve their differences outside of court.

The experienced Oviedo and Casselberry eviction attorneys at Quattrochi, Torres, and Taormina are here to help all Florida residents mitigate their financial losses in these challenging times. Call 407.452.4918 or contact us online today to schedule your free consultation.