Multifamily landlords have largely been able to collect rent through the coronavirus pandemic due to government assistance for those who are unemployed, a report from Marcus & Millichap has found. However, the federal funding of $600 per week for unemployed citizens expired at the end of July, leaving uncertainty surrounding rent collections moving into the third quarter. On Thursday, Sept. 3, the U.S. Commerce Department reported that 881,000 Americans filed for first-time unemployment benefits for the week ending Aug. 29. Continuing claims, for which data is a week behind, totaled 13.3 million for the week ending Aug. 22. On Tuesday, Sept. 1, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Trump Administration halted evictions through the end of the year. Prior to the eviction moratorium, fundamentals in the second quarter were sliding. The nationwide vacancy rate rose 30 basis points to 4.7 percent in the second quarter. Irvine, California-based Marcus & Millichap expects vacancy to continue upward through the end of the year as COVID-19 keeps the jobless rate at historic highs. States are offering unemployment assistance, which could prove more valuable with the absence of federal unemployment funding. Each state, though, offers different benefits, making it harder …
