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The press is full of negative news right now, but like a shining ray of hope, we have come across some lovely stories of kind-hearted landlords willing to put their own needs aside to help their tenants.
You can Live Rent-free for 5-months
A Loughborough landlord was concerned when he couldn’t get in touch with his tenant, so he called round to find out if the tenant was OK. The tenant was already in arrears with his rent, but because the landlord wanted to help the tenant out, the landlord said the tenant could have a five-month payment holiday. This will hopefully be enough for the self-employed father of four to get back on his feet.
Yesterday I knocked on my Tennant’s door and told him he can stay in the property rent free for 5 months. He is self employed with 4 kids. I don’t need Boris to tell me what is morally correct. Landlords, if you can, do more, do something. #COVID19 #BeNice
— Paul Bradshaw (@bradshaaaw) March 22, 2020
The tenant told the landlord he “massively appreciated” the kind gesture.
The landlord acknowledges that he’s lucky enough to be able to afford to let his tenant stay for free for a while, as not all landlords can do this. But with mortgage holidays now available for landlords, think about whether you can help your tenants get through this challenging situation.
“There will be financial consequences – it’s a gesture that’s worth a few thousand pounds,” the landlord said.
“But I think the word profit just needs to be forgotten about right now and everybody just needs to try and break even through this.”
NHS Workers Welcome Says Landlord
In another feel-good story, a Belfast landlord has made his rental property available for busy NHS workers. The landlord runs an Airbnb property but it’s currently empty thanks to the coronavirus outbreak. Instead of leaving it empty, he decided it could be put to much better use, as the property is very close to the city’s hospital. Now, under-pressure NHS workers who need somewhere to stay close to their place of work can use the three-bed house.
“It’s just sitting there and nothing is happening to it and we kept hearing stories that people were working insane hours and I thought it might be useful to doctors and nurses who wanted to sleep there, or catch a few hours’ sleep or put their feet up away from the hospital for an hour,” he told the Irish News.
This is ideal for NHS workers who don’t want to risk returning home and infecting vulnerable family members. There are doubtless many more workers out there who would really appreciate a place to stay in Belfast, so the landlord has set up a Facebook page to match other landlords with NHS staff.
“It’s like a rallying cry ‘if you have an empty property in Belfast there are people who are in need or will be in need in the coming weeks,” he told the newspaper.
RLA asks Landlords to Help Their Tenants
The Residential Landlords Association is calling for landlords to allow tenants to pay rent later if they have a good payment record. They say some tenants may use the coronavirus pandemic as an excuse to avoid paying rent, but these individuals are in a minority. Others will have lost their job or be working reduced hours. Some are self-isolating on zero pay. These people need as much support as possible. Landlords should try and be flexible, especially if their tenants are vulnerable. It’s the right thing to do.
