How the eviction moratorium screwed up one of my tenants

[Lam N.]

Last year, I bought a house from another landlord with tenants already living in there.  It's a family.  Their rent was actually about 20% below market price for a house that size.  But whatever, I continued to honor their lease.

When the eviction moratorium came, they stopped paying.  I knew they were still working and fully capable of paying.  More on this later.  I reached out to them and they said the government order said they didn't have to pay rent.  I tried to explain to them that that's not how it works.  But they didn't listen.  

I waited until their lease ran out.  That's a total of 5 months unpaid rent.  I gave them a letter stating I was not renewing the lease.  Filed for eviction.  Eventually, I got a call from them offering to pay me IN FULL rent for the all the months they missed if I sign another lease with them at the same price.

I said "No".

You get how this is worse than if they were unable to pay, right?

Soon, I will have my employees evaluate the house and will decide what (if any) we will work on before renting it out again at market price.  It's a 3 bedroom single family house in a desirable area.  I have no doubt at all I can rent it out in a heart beat.

Oh, by the way damage hearing is coming up.  Will garnish their wages and move to seize assets.  I normally let it go.  But with this particular case, I'm not playing around.

Anyone else are going through or have gone through similar situation?  I don't understand why some people think an eviction moratorium meant they don't have to pay rent even if they could.