‘It’s a broken system’: Georgia mom is ‘bouncing from house to house’ without ever paying her landlord — here’s how she and many other Americans get away with it

A growing problem

In the wake of COVID-19, both the federal and state governments passed eviction moratoriums, some of which lasted for years. But these protections for renters did little to help many of the “mom-and-pop” landlords, individuals who own and manage their own properties.

Because while many Americans may picture landlords as predominantly large corporations, 2023 analysis from the National Association of Realtors shows that more than 70% of small rental properties (with one to four units) are owned by individuals — and about 70% of them are managed by those same owners.

It’s those landlords “11Alive” says Shetial has targeted over the last two years, moving her family six times and paying little to no rent. (However, it should be noted that “11Alive” spoke with her current landlord, who said she’s paying her rent on time fine.)

“They're bouncing from house to house," Luna said.

But Shetial isn’t an outlier — headlines of squatters and the landlords they’ve scammed are commonplace these days. Countless management companies have created resources for landlords or property managers to spot the signs of a scammer — including running thorough background checks and only accepting payments in cash.

“11Alive” also points out that Shetial’s actions may make it even harder for other Georgians with poor credit score or a rocky financial background to find landlords willing to give them a chance.

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Landlords end up holding the bag

While there’s no statistics on the scope of the problem nationally, Gary Lee, owner of Academy Properties, which helps manage rental homes in metro Atlanta, said he’s seen his fair share of tenants fall behind on rent on purpose — and the issue is getting worse.

Lee manages one of the properties Shetial lived in. She was there for just two months in the summer of 2023 before he had to initiate an eviction process. In his 27 years of real estate and property management, he estimated about 20% of the tenants he’s seen stop paying intentionally, knowing they’re likely to get away with it — at least for a time.

“They're using the system. It's a broken system,” said Lee.

The reporters at “11Alive Investigates” took a survey of the counties around metro Atlanta and found that a majority of the courts said cases are heard in a matter of weeks, but that the sheriff or marshal's office needed to serve those orders require more time.

And a handful of counties told the program that the wait right now ranges from four to six months thanks to the unfortunate combination of an influx of evictions after COVID-19 protections wore off as well as staffing challenges.

The people who end up holding the bag Lee told “11Alive” are the Americans counting on investment properties for income.

“We’re talking about me and you that have one property or maybe two that they bought for an investment for their retirement,” said Lee. Those homeowners, he adds, are rarely able to recoup that rent.

“It's just gone. Most of the time it's gone.”