Valley renters catching up, fewer fear eviction as protections near end

PHOENIX — Tenant eviction protections due to the COVID-19 pandemic end on July 31 in Arizona after several extensions.

The U.S. Census Household Pulse Survey found only 5.2% of renters statewide are behind on rent as that date approaches, below the national average, and more of them could start catching up as jobs return.

“Unemployment has gone down and wages have gone up,” Alexandra Lee, a Zillow economist, said.

Rental assistance and unemployment insurance have kept Arizonans in their homes during the pandemic.

Lee found more than half of the 93,180 Arizona households behind on rent don’t think they’ll be evicted.

“Landlords understand, obviously, what these renters have gone through,” she said. “This pandemic has impacted all of us. Many landlords just want to make this work.”

Arizona had more than twice as many delinquent renters in March.

“We do expect these downward trends to continue as the economy improves, as these households reenter the labor market,” Lee said.

Zillow found rent nationwide increased 2.3% from April to May, the largest monthly appreciation since 2015.

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