STATEWIDE — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis on Wednesday extended the statewide ban on housing evictions until September 1.

That moratorium had been scheduled to expire Saturday.

DeSantis’ executive order, enacted because of financial struggles and unemployment resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, allows people who are behind on the rent or mortgage to remain in their homes without concerns about eviction.

The order states, "Affected by the COVID-19 emergency means loss of employment, diminished wages or business income, or other monetary loss realized during the Florida State of Emergency."

Consumer attorney Charles Gallagher said the more restrictive order provides some relief for landlords who are stuck with tenants who are using the moratorium as an excuse to not pay their rent.

"I understand there was some impotence from the community out there of landlords who did have properties that were being tied up and tenants that really didn't have a good faith basis to use this," Gallagher said. "They're working no problem. They had no underlying hardship, but because that statute was in play and it suspended the evictions across the board, they were going to avail themselves of that." 

The extension allows people who are cannot pay their rent or mortgage to wait, for now. However, they will have to pay all they owe before the moratorium expires or risk eviction then.

"The rent doesn't go away. It's a matter of it kind of piling up," Gallagher said. "When there's a point in time, where they can pay, they have to pay."

Governor DeSantis has issued a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures five times due to the pandemic. The first order went into effect on April 1.

He had indicated at a roundtable discussion on Tuesday in Orlando that he might take additional action.