AURORA | Although it’s up to individual landlords whether to collect rent payments, the eviction process is still on pause in Aurora while the pandemic puts tenants in dire straits.
Eviction orders stem from landlords taking tenants to court. But courts in the 17th Judicial Districts, covering part of north Aurora, will not hear eviction cases until at least May 1, said Jon Sarché, Deputy Public Information Officer for the Colorado Judicial Department. In the 18th Judicial District, which includes Arapahoe County and the bulk of Aurora residents, courts won’t hear eviction cases until at least April 20. Sarché said it’s possible that date would be extended again soon.
Sheriff’s departments for Adams and Arapahoe counties, responsible for knocking on doors and evicting residents, are still refusing to carry out existing eviction orders.
Coloradans filed more than 60,000 unemployment claims in March 2020, according to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, putting many tenants hard-pressed or unable to pay rent. A recent report from the Colorado Apartment Association found more than 16 percent of Coloradans did not pay April rent, more than double the figure for January and February.
Andrew Hamrick, Senior Vice President of Governmental Affairs for the Colorado Apartment Association, which advocates for property owners, told the Sentinel last month the eviction pause comes with a slew of unintended consequences. He expects courts to become more backlogged after the pandemic passes with eviction orders.
The Apartment Association has recommended that landlords work with individual tenants to make fair rent payment and not raise rents during the pandemic. This week, apartment officials said rent remittance is far higher than the national average.
Housing activists including the Denver Democratic Socialists of America branch are calling for Governor Jared Polis and other government officials to freeze housing payments, including rent.