. >> reporter: this is what's left at one of katherine esposito's rental properties in san antonio, texas>> i've owned this property for a long time. to walk into something like this and have it totally destroyed? it's -- it's heartbreaking. >> reporter: she claims last year the tenants who lived here stopped paying rent and trashed the property. because of nationwide eviction moratoriums in place at the time, katherine couldn't do anything to force them out. in my opinion, have paid people to live there, on my property. >> reporter: it's a common misconception that every american property owner is inherently wealthy. but nearly half of all rental units in the u.s. are owned by mom and pop landlords like katherine, who have at most a few properties and often rely on the rental income for their own mortgages, expenses, and retirement. katherine says between lost rental income and the cost of renovating this ruined property, she's now fallen deeply in debt durst the pandemic. >> the repairs is going to run probably close to $20,000, $30,000. are in here right now, they got totally destroye.