GREENSBORO, N.C. — There's no denying times are tough. Many have lost jobs or a good chunk of their income due to the coronavirus pandemic.
North Carolina leaders have worked to ease the burden, delaying evictions so everyone can stay put right now.
However, halting evictions does not translate to waiving your rent these next couple of months.
"They're still going to have to pay that rent eventually," said Greensboro landlord Jennifer Vandiver, "I am still going to have to pay my mortgage payments on the house. I'm still going to have to pay my insurance for the house. I'm still going to have to pay my taxes on the house."
Vandiver rents out more than 30 homes across the city. She's been in communication with her tenants so they can let her know if they can't make a payment.
She says, the vast majority of her tenants are great - but fears some people may have gotten the wrong idea about what the Executive Order regarding evictions allows.
"I will not charge a late fee. I'm not going to be pounding at the door every single day saying where's my rent," Vandiver said, "I understand that things are going to take a while for the government to get the payments out, but I do expect that that rent will be paid."
According to the state, the Governor's Order doesn't give tenants the right to stop paying rent - and doesn't prevent landlords from making sure they're paid.
Vandiver says she believes most landlords will work with you, but failure to pay for months on end could land you in a tough spot down the road - if you try to find another apartment or rental in the future.
"We're in this all together. This is affecting everyone not just tenants, and not just landlords but it's affecting both of us," she said.
If you've got questions about paying rent or eviction, call 2-1-1, or visit the website by clicking here. They've got experts working around the clock to answer just about any question you've got, related to coronavirus and its effects on your life.
RELATED: Friday real-time coronavirus updates: North Carolina has 3,962 coronavirus cases, 74 deaths
