Gov. Jared Polis on Sunday extended his order requiring landlords to give 30 days notice to tenants who are late on their rent before initiating an eviction as fears grow about scores of Coloradans losing their homes because of the economic effects of the coronavirus crisis.
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The 30-day warning mandate is now in effect through Aug. 11. It was initially set to expire on Monday.
Normally, landlords have to give tenants 10 days notice that they are behind on their rent before initiating an eviction.
While the extended order doesn’t outlaw evictions, it’s aimed at giving tenants more time to secure enough money to prevent being removed from their homes.
Colorado’s unemployment rate was 10.2% in May and more than 500,000 have sought jobless benefits from the state.
Housing advocates have warned that as many as 450,000 renters could face being evicted in the coming months.
MORE: Read Gov. Jared Polis updated executive order on evictions.
In April, Polis outlawed evictions except in cases where public safety was at risk. But he chose not to continue the mandate into the summer, much to the dismay of housing advocates.
Democratic state lawmakers were working to pass legislation that would have extended Polis’ eviction moratorium, but a deal at the Capitol last month fell short .
The governor on Sunday also encouraged local governments to suspend or eliminate restrictions on how many unrelated people can live in the same house, as well as policies limiting the number of days people can stay in a hotel room.