The nationwide eviction moratorium put into place by the Centers for Disease Control last year will end sooner than expected, following a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The court said in the 5-4 ruling that the CDC overstepped its authority in establishing the nationwide moratorium, but the court stopped short of ending the eviction ban immediately. That means the moratorium will expire at the end of July and not be extended further. 

The National Association of Realtors applauded the decision in a press release, calling it a “massive victory for property rights.”

“For more than a year, mom-and-pop property owners have been pushed toward financial ruin as they upkeep their properties and pay their taxes and mortgages with no income of their own,” NAR President Charlie Oppler said in the press release. “With the pandemic waning and the economy improving, it is time to restore the housing sector to its healthy, former function. Property owners also deserved this absolute clarity from our federal court system regarding property rights in America to avoid similar financial harm in the future.”

Oppler added: “This ruling keeps in place certainty for tenants for another month while bringing clarity to struggling housing providers. It is now critical that the nearly $50 billion in rental assistance NAR helped secure gets out to those who need it most.”

Both the Georgia Association of Realtors and the Alabama Association of Realtors filed lawsuits in opposition to the moratorium.