How the eviction moratorium screwed up one of my tenants

[Lam N.]

Last year, I bought a house from another landlord with tenants already living in there.  It's a family.  Their rent was actually about 20% below market price for a house that size.  But whatever, I continued to honor their lease.

When the eviction moratorium came, they stopped paying.  I knew they were still working and fully capable of paying.  More on this later.  I reached out to them and they said the government order said they didn't have to pay rent.  I tried to explain to them that that's not how it works.  But they didn't listen.  

I waited until their lease ran out.  That's a total of 5 months unpaid rent.  I gave them a letter stating I was not renewing the lease.  Filed for eviction.  Eventually, I got a call from them offering to pay me IN FULL rent for the all the months they missed if I sign another lease with them at the same price.

I said "No".

You get how this is worse than if they were unable to pay, right?

Soon, I will have my employees evaluate the house and will decide what (if any) we will work on before renting it out again at market price.  It's a 3 bedroom single family house in a desirable area.  I have no doubt at all I can rent it out in a heart beat.

Oh, by the way damage hearing is coming up.  Will garnish their wages and move to seize assets.  I normally let it go.  But with this particular case, I'm not playing around.

Anyone else are going through or have gone through similar situation?  I don't understand why some people think an eviction moratorium meant they don't have to pay rent even if they could.  

[Theresa Harris]

I evicted a tenant as soon as I could after the ban was lifted (I'm in Canada).  I decided it wasn't worth the effort to try and get the money back for damages or lost rent as talking to people in that province, it was pointless and nothing would be enforced.

I know it is different down there and if you have the time and energy to do it, I would suggest you do it to warn future landlords.