Landlords and Tenants concerned about Coronavirus
According to a recent study by research consultancy Opinium, at least 73% of landlords are concerned that their tenants may not be able to pay all or at least part of the rent; similarly, 70% of landlords are worried about the idea of their tenants moving and leaving them with an empty property.
“As the pandemic continues, more people will see their income affected.”
ARLA Propertymark Executive Director, David Cox, said: “It is sad to see this trend among landlords. The vast majority are experiencing a time of great stress due to the Coronavirus.”
“Unfortunately, as the pandemic lasts, the number of people who will be affected by their income will grow; this will result in a high level of stress for those people who need that money to support themselves and their families.”
“However, we cannot underestimate the great support received from the government. There is help for tenants who cannot pay the rent as well as for landlords who do not receive the income from rent collection.”
“There is still a high level of confusion on the part of the population. We urge each of the people to investigate what aid they qualify for and request it. The government is making a great effort during this crisis, which must be recognized.”
“Tenants and landlords should be aware of the aid that the government offers them. Ideally, they would accept it and thus reduce the negative impact that COVID-19 is having on the lifestyle of all of us.”
These are the figures that reveal the great impact of the Coronavirus
- 58% of tenants who worked before the Coronavirus pandemic reveal that their employment has been affected in some way.
- 43% of those whose work has been affected by COVID-19 say they have had trouble paying rent, bills, services, and food.
- 25% of these people have had to leave their houses, move in with friends or family, or request their tenancy to end earlier than planned to avoid paying rent.
- 24% of people whose jobs have changed have already had to draw on their savings to pay their rent.
- 65% of people are aware that the UK government has made £500m available to all households that need help and financing to pay the rent. But 3 out of 5 of these people admit that they do not understand how to access these benefits.
- 1 in 5 people are unaware that the government has prohibited new eviction procedures against tenants for the next 3 months.
These figures show that a large part of the population is still unaware of the benefits the UK government has offered to help them resist during this period of crisis.
