Landlord group sues federal government for rent lost under eviction moratorium

A landlord group is suing the federal government for back rent, claiming that the government's effort to keep people housed during the coronavirus pandemic has left property owners on the hook for tens of billions of dollars. 

The National Apartment Association, a trade group whose members control about 10 million rental units, filed the suit late Tuesday in the United States Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. The NAA claims that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's eviction moratorium was unlawful and has left landlords "holding the bag on $26.6 billion in rental debt after operating under extreme conditions for 16 months," according to its announcement.