If you can pay your rent, pay it. The eviction moratorium is not an invitation to stop paying rent.
There is an exception in the Executive Order for emergency situations, which can include matters involving violence or other safety risks. If an eviction case can fairly be characterized as an “emergency,” it may still go forward.
The Executive Order does not prohibit a landlord from sending out required notices (such as rent demands) or from giving you a complaint that has been filed. The Executive Order simply means the case will not go forward until after April 17, 2020. The Executive Order does extend filing deadlines for 30 days. This means if your landlord files an eviction with the court before April 17 you will have additional time to file your response when the courts reopen.
Even though new eviction cases are temporarily halted, sometimes landlords try to evict people without going to court. Evictions without a court order are still illegal. If your landlord threatens to evict you without going to court first, contact RILS immediately.
We encourage you to call your attorney (or the court clerk if you do not have an attorney), with additional questions.