Supreme Court Refuses Review of LA COVID Eviction Moratorium Challenge

The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge brought by Los Angeles landlords who argued that the city's COVID-19 eviction moratorium constituted an unconstitutional taking of their property without just compensation. The landlords, including GHP Management Corp., sought over $20 million in damages for unpaid rent accrued during the moratorium, which lasted from 2020 to 2024 and prevented evictions of tenants unable to pay due to the pandemic. Two conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch, dissented, emphasizing the ongoing relevance of eviction moratoria in emergencies and expressing support for hearing the case. Previous courts, including a federal judge and the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, had dismissed the landlords' claims, citing established precedents that typically uphold eviction restrictions and rent control laws. The landlords contended that the moratorium was a physical taking under the Fifth Amendment because it forced them to allow nonpaying tenants to remain on their property. The Supreme Court's refusal leaves in place the eviction protections enacted by Los Angeles during the pandemic without mandating compensation to landlords.