Worst time to Evict in US History?

[Kevin M.]

Those who have been in the industry for a few decades, or are familiar with US history- is this the worst time in U.S. history to have a non-paying tenant?

On a national scale, has HUD or the CDC ever taken such drastic action to limit residential evictions?

On a local scale- I know many major cities are going above and beyond the federal limits. Has there ever been a more dramatic effort by local authorities to prevent eviction?

Aside from the legislative efforts at the federal, state, and local level- eviction courts themselves are backlogged many months in major cities. On top of all of this, I know of a few cities that have tightened penalties for self-help evictions (turning off utilities, changing locks, etc). 

Is it fair to say this is the worst time to evict a tenant in US history?

Also- one of the biggest uninsurable risks to a landlord is having a non-paying tenant. When risk increases, required return increases for a rational investor. What will increased eviction risk do to the market?

[JD Martin]

Not by a long shot. The worst time to evict would historically be at a time when there were no replacement tenants. The Great Depression might be a candidate.

To answer your other question, in marginal or difficult eviction communities, you will see either less rentals or more initial and ongoing cost borne by the tenant, or both simultaneously. Higher deposits, higher rents, more stringent credit & background checks, less leniency by landlords.