A report from KHON. "An anonymous landlord in Hawaii that spoke with KHON2 says that his tenants have not lost employment since the pandemic started, but have avoided paying $25,000 in rent and utilities while leaning on the eviction moratorium to remain in the house. For now, the landlord is stuck trying to find ways to pay his mortgage and his tenant’s utilities. 'We’re still trying to make it through each month ourselves and then to have this huge loss, it’s devastating on our part,' said the landlord."

From Local 10 in Florida. "Some critics believe Miami Dade County’s residential eviction COVID-19 moratorium is protecting squatters. Despite judge’s ordering people to be removed from homes, it is not happening. Miami-Dade County hasn’t been enforcing evictions and some homeowners, who continue paying their mortgages and taxes, are outraged and can’t believe the county is protecting criminals."

"Anthony Stewart has taken over apartment 2D inside the building located at 915 Jefferson Avenue in Miami Beach. Kevin Harris said he spent $20,000 on legal fees to have Stewart removed through the courts and get the writ. 'It makes my blood boil,' he said. 'I got a squatter living in my condo that has no right, no lease. I’m making the payments, and he refuses to leave, and no one will make him leave.'"

The Puget Sound Business Journal in Washington. "A glut of new supply has hit the in-city market, but the booming Eastside isn't immune either, new data shows. Net demand for apartments in Seattle and Shoreline tumbled in 2020 by nearly 7,900 units, according to new data from Seattle appraiser Brian O'Connor, who said the downturn is not dissimilar to what occurred during the Great Recession, with one key difference."

"Unlike a dozen years ago, when the recession tamped down the supply of new units, King and Snohomish counties have a total of 20,000 new units coming this year and next. These are units in lease up or under construction, not proposed."

"'That's a bit of a problem,' said O'Connor, principal of O'Connor Consulting Group and Commercial Analytics. O'Connor advises multifamily developers and expects it will take two years for the market to absorb the new construction. 'All this product in the pipeline is there because of what the demand used to be,' he said."

"Year over year in September, rents declined 9.5% in Seattle and Shoreline. For landlords, it's especially bleak in the the core of the city — downtown, Capitol Hill and Pioneer Square. 'Rents are down by about 15% in the core, and then they're offering two months' free rent. That's another 17%, so call it 30%. It's brutal what's going on,' O'Connor said."

From Queens News in New York. "As has been the trend for most of the past year, rents in northwest Queens continued to fall in January, according to a new report. The net effective median rent in the northwest part of the borough fell at its highest year-over-year rate in more than four years in January 2021, according to a report from real estate firm Douglas Elliman. The nearly 18 percent drop in the median rental price marks the ninth straight month Queens saw a decrease, the report said."

"In January 2020, rental units were rented, on average, for nearly $3,000 in northwest Queens. Last month, units were rented for around $2,470, according to the report. The median price drop is accompanied by a rise in monthly rental concessions and a spike in units available on the market, compared to January 2020. Lease signings also saw a decline last month, dropping by 4.5 percent year over year. The decline, which began prior to the pandemic, marks the 17th year over year decline in the past 18 months."

From College News on Australia. "Thousands of student apartments across Melbourne remain uninhabited due to the loss of international students. Use of Scape student accommodation provider fell to 15 per cent of its 5,500 bedrooms in Melbourne, a decrease from 50 per cent in 2020, and 95 per cent in 2019. 'Occupancy has hit the cliff,' Scapeco chairman Craig Carracher said, claiming that 20 per cent of occupants were international students amid a crisis, staying there for nothing or paying a symbolic amount for utilities."

"The first-year student of journalism, Tiarna Condren told the Age that residents have spread out, and she was living with 150 persons in the building which has a total of 750 rooms. 'I’ve only seen one person on my floor so far,' Condren said."

From Domain News in Australia. "Suburbs close to universities, including Balwyn and Carlton, saw median unit prices fall by 26.7 per cent and 20.5 per cent, respectively. 'While the vacancy rates are so high they are just not holding any appeal for investors. There is no demand for them,' says Angie Zigomanis, director, research and strategy at Charter Keck Cramer."

"'Many apartments that are currently rented to international students could be empty in three years’ time if new international students can’t come in and that will cause prices to plummet for those smaller one or two-bedroom apartments,' said Melbourne-based demographer Simon Kuestenmacher."