Landlords Look For Covid Payback

Posted: May 26, 2026 | Source: www.floridarealtors.org

Due to a federal eviction ban that lasted over a year, Matthew Haines and his investors lost more than $1 million when, just months into the covid pandemic, he and other landlords nationwide were prohibited from evicting renters who failed to pay their rent. Haines is now one of more than 1,500 property owners who filed a federal complaint claiming that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s ban unlawfully denied them compensation, violating the Fifth Amendment. The plaintiffs claim losses ranging from thousands of dollars to more than $14.5 million.

After initially losing in the Court of Federal Claims in 2022, the plaintiffs won on appeal and are currently in settlement talks with the US Justice Department. Landlords want to recover up to $1.5 billion, which is a small portion of what they actually lost.