With COVID-19 renter protections waning, evictions have risen again in many communities, but rental property owners and operators can take proactive steps to improve their tenants’ stability.

Urban researchers and Enterprise Community Partners, with the support of Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future and Housing Partnership Network, convened a group of mission-aligned owners and operators of rental properties to better understand the landscape of practices that they have adopted to reduce the occurrence and effects of eviction. We identified five principles and practices to help guide owners and operators as they seek financial stability of their properties while limiting evictions:

• Remove barriers for tenants in their housing search and use transparent processes when establishing tenancy.
• Use clear, accessible, and equitable communication through all stages of tenancy.
• Proactively connect tenants to resources and encourage communities of support, to help tenants stay stable throughout their tenancy.
• Allow flexibility in terms, processes, and payments for renters to reduce the likelihood of eviction.
• Commit to procedures and policies that prioritize eviction diversion options in the case of nonpayment or late payment.