Real-estate attorney David Miller, who specializes in debt defense, predicts that eviction and foreclosure rates could climb in 2023.
“I don’t see a real upside in terms of relief,” he said.
In the last year, the greater Tampa Bay region experienced an influx of new residents, record-high inflation and the devastating impacts of Hurricane Ian. All of which, Miller said, is impacting renters and homeowners differently.
In 2022, renters have been stretched thin by cost-of-living increases and month-over-month rent increases making them vulnerable to eviction. In Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, data from Eviction Lab show that eviction filings are up 121 percent compared to the average rate.
With rental prices showing few signs of cooling, Miller doubts renters will find immediate relief in the new year.
“I don’t think there’s a way to really sugarcoat it,” he said. “From a landlord’s perspective – if they have the ability to raise rent – I think they’re going to do it.”
In Florida counties also hit by Hurricane Ian in September, renters without insurance are especially hurting. In other cases, as reported by the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, renters are vulnerable to wrongful eviction after a natural disaster.
“Such evictions are illegal under Florida law but often occur following disasters, when landlords can use the disaster as an opportunity to remove tenants and then rent out units at higher prices to displaced homeowners or higher-income renters,” according to a memo from the the National Low-Income Housing Coalition.
Florida homeowners recovering from Ian were granted temporary relief by a 90-day foreclosure moratorium, announced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The stay on pending actions and new filings applies to affected homeowners in these Florida counties: Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hillsborough, Lee, Manatee, Pinellas, and Sarasota.
Miller said homeowners who were hit hardest by the storm would benefit from