Wayne Streibich, Diana M. Eng, and Chenxi Jiao

The CFPB’s interim final rule amends Regulation F to, among other things, (i) require debt collectors to provide written notice to certain consumers about the CDC’s temporary eviction protections; and (ii) prohibit debt collectors from misrepresenting that a consumer is ineligible for eviction protection under the CDC’s moratorium. Debt collectors should take the necessary steps to ensure compliance with the amendment.

On April 19, 2021, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”) issued an interim final rule to amend Regulation F at 12 C.F.R. § 1006 (the “IFR”) to require debt collectors to provide consumers with disclosures relating to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) order, titled “Temporary Halt in Residential Evictions to Prevent the Further Spread of COVID-19” (86 FR 16731 (Mar. 31, 2021)) (the “CDC Order”). The CDC Order “generally prohibits a landlord, owner of a residential property, or other person with a legal right to pursue eviction or possessory action from evicting for non-payment of rent any person protected by the CDC Order from any residential property in any jurisdiction in which the CDC Order applies.” This prohibition applies to any agent or attorney acting on behalf of a landlord or owner of a residential property. Notably, however, the CDC Order does not cover foreclosure on a home mortgage.

The CFPB issued the IFR due to its concerns that consumers are unaware of their protections under the CDC Order and that debt collectors may be engaging in eviction-related conduct that violates the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1692, et seq. (the “FDCPA”). The IFR applies to “debt collectors,” “consumers,” and “debt,” as defined in the FDCPA.

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