URGENT: CALL TO ACTION
ARIZONA OWNER'S NEED OUR VOICES
As property manager's this is likely the most important political thing we have asked of our members and we need you to act now!
We are hearing that Governor Ducey is getting significant pressure to continue his Eviction Delay Executive Order (EO 2020-04) beyond the July 22nd sunset date.
In fact, earlier this week Democratic lawmakers sent a letter to the Governor asking him to extend the Eviction Delay order by another six months. For some of you this could mean up to 10 months of no rental income. Even if you have been fortunate and have received rent from your residents, the likelihood of future nonpayment increases dramatically as this continues to drag out.
As you are painfully aware, this would be catastrophic for our members to have to continue to provide essentially free housing without the government compensation for rental property owners. I have heard from many of you these last two-plus months on the pain and suffering this is causing you.
The Governor and his team need to hear from those directly impacted: the rental housing owner! We ask that over the next week you reach out to the Governor’s office directly in one of three ways:
Call the Governor’s Constituent Services – 602-542-4331
Email the Governor’s Constituent Services – engage@az.gov
Complete the on-line Comment Form - https://azgovernor.gov/engage/form/contact-governor-ducey
It is critical to tell your personal story about how the eviction delay has impacted you and your owner's. Ensure to forward this information to your Owner's so they too can assist us in getting the word to Governor Ducey's desk to not extend the Eviction Delay. Below you will find a sample email (please edit to tell your story) and a few talking points to provide you with some additional information to consider.
Thank you in advance for contacting the Governor’s staff.
Additional Talking Points
Arizona and local jurisdictions have $130 million dollars available for eviction prevention and rental assistance (EPRA). The money needs to be deployed quickly and efficiently.
No other business in Arizona is being mandated to provide goods or services to customers or clients. Why is rental housing being singled out?
Rental owners shouldn’t be asked to provide a massive social safety net alone.
We can’t continue to ask rental owners, many of which in Arizona are individual owners that own one to a handful of rental properties, to go without any income any longer. These owners are still paying taxes, utilities, insurance, and making repairs to keep their rentals fit and habitable, some also have payroll or property management fees.
We are not asking grocery stores or restaurants to provide food and meals without compensation, why would we continue to ask rental housing owners to provide housing without compensation.
An eviction delay jeopardizes tax payments, mortgage payments, insurance payments, payroll, and habitability of rental housing.
Rental owners and managers have provided millions in rent relief directly to residents in the form of rent reductions, waiving of fees, rent forgiveness and concessions.
A continuation of the eviction delay only empowers those bad actors gaming the system, as it encourages non-responsive & non-paying residents to continue to hunker down and not pay rent until they absolutely have to pay or move.
SAMPLE EMAIL
Dear Governor Ducey,
I own and operate ___ rental homes in ___ (AZ, Phoenix, Tempe, Tucson, Valley-wide…). I have a renter that ________ (will/will not) communicate with me but because of the eviction delay they are not paying rent. I am still trying to pay my mortgage, property & local taxes, HOA dues, landscaping, pest control and insurance on the property but I have now fallen behind on my bills. If the eviction delay continues, I will lose my investment costing me tens of thousands of dollars.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
Additional Sample
Dear Governor Ducey's Office,
I urge you not to extend the Eviction Delay Executive Order end date. I am a landlord and owner of a property management business serving approximately _____ Arizona rental property owners. EO 2020-04 has had a significantly negative impact on our industry. Much of the communication me and my other colleagues in the industry are receiving from tenants does not appear to be truly related to a financial hardship, and in the cases where there is a financial hardship related to COVID-19 in almost every case the resident and landlord are being best served by negotiating a mutually agreed upon early termination of the lease agreement.
If any extension is made to this Order please ensure it requires written notice from the tenant to the landlord giving reasons for the non-payment of rent and hardship conditions. Please ensure any extension of the order would require proof of hardship so we can stop the abuse of the order causing harm to property owners in the state.
Allow landlords to recover possession of their property for non-payment of rent. The tenant debts from non-payment of rent are mounting and they can not be forgiven. The landlords need to make mortgage, tax, insurance, HOA payments and continue providing maintenance at the property. are mounting and we feel strongly that any extension to the Order makes things worse for all parties, not better.
Sincerely,
Name
Address