Although the eviction moratorium was set to expire July 31, because of a spike in COVID-19 cases due to the Delta variant, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new order in early August, which is more limited than the previous orders but still offers renters in certain geographic areas some protections. The new order is expected to expire Oct. 3.
How to know if the new order applies to you:
- The order applies to renters in counties that are experiencing “substantial or high levels of community transmission.” You can find out if your county is experiencing substantial or high levels of community transmission here. On Aug. 24, the date of this update, the CDC has classified all counties in WV in the “high” category.
- Renters must still meet other requirements to qualify. Those are outlined here.
How does the moratorium work?
- Renters must submit the current declaration form if they meet the requirements and then give the signed declaration form to their landlord. Because there is currently no state-level moratorium on evictions in West Virginia, the protections will not kick in unless the form is filled out and submitted to the landlord. If you can, take a picture or keep a copy of the form for your own records.
The above is not legal advice. If your landlord is trying to evict you, or if you have questions about your individual situation, ACLU-WV recommends that you immediately contact a local attorney. One resource is Legal Aid of West Virginia. They can be reached at 866-255-4370 or by visiting https://www.lawv.net/.