Governor Baker Signs Legislation into Law to Protect Homeowners and Tenants from Eviction and Foreclosure

Governor Baker signed legislation into law to protect homeowners and tenants from eviction and foreclosure. An Act providing for a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures during the COVID-19 emergency ensures housing stability for residents and families, and can be read in its entirety here.

Highlights of the legislation for Tenants include temporarily halts all stages of eviction, specifically:

• stops landlords from sending notices of eviction and filing new eviction cases
• stops courts from scheduling non-emergency hearings, entering judgments (including agreements for judgment), and issuing executions
• stops sheriffs from levying on executions to remove tenants
• applies to most evictions with limited exceptions for true emergencies involving conditions or conduct endangering the health and safety of others
• prevents late fees and negative credit reporting for COVID-19 affected tenants.

Highlights for homeowners in 1-4 family owner occupied properties, it temporarily:

• stops residential foreclosures from going forward
• requires lenders to offer a mortgage forbearance for homeowners affected by COVID-19, with payments added to the end of the loan
• prevents negative credit reporting for homeowners in forbearance
• gives landlords access to tenants' last month's rent to cover expenses

The moratorium also pauses evictions on small businesses, and makes it easier to access reverse mortgages.