Since December 2019, the world has been reeling in the devastating effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Most countries had to shut down, lockdowns have been put in place, and the global economy took a big hit. No area or aspect of our lives has not been affected in one way or another by this pandemic. Activities that we did very easily before, without any worry, are now a lot more complicated.
An excellent example of this is renting through the OVID-19 period. For many obvious reasons, it has been a very hectic time for both tenants looking for a place to stay and landlords when renting their properties out. Overall, it has been a very hectic period for everyone. Typically, for most people, a significant chunk of their money goes into the payment of rent. When millions lose their jobs because of the pandemic, problems will arise. Property management services have done their best to make the lives of all renters and landlords less stressful during this period.
As many tenants lose their jobs because of the pandemic, they find it a lot more challenging to pay their rent. In a few countries like the United States of America, the government chips in to help in the form of financial assistance. In countries where such welfare packages are not in place, the tenants will have difficulty coping with the payment of rent to their landlords. This is because there is no way they can afford to pay without a job, which has led to several conflicts.
Several landlords have resorted to evicting their tenants, while some others have been more understanding. Some governments decided to swing into action by providing several protective measures for their tenants. In countries like Ireland, the government has come up with the concept of an emergency period to protect tenants. In Australia, landlords were told that they could not evict tenants for six months due to the significant economic impacts of coronavirus on the Australian community.
During this emergency period, a landlord cannot forcefully evict the tenant from the home, and the landlord must not serve a notice of termination to the tenant. There must also be no increase in the rent for the house during that same period. These rulings are to be applied to all kinds of rentals. As protection for landlords, there are obligations for the tenants. For example, he or she must proceed with the regular payment of the rent when they can, and he or she must also continue to adhere to the earlier agreements of the tenancy.
Another issue that has been critical when it comes to renting through the COVID-19 period is how landlords maintain order and ensure that all the tenants adhere to the rules and regulations to control the viral pandemic. There will always be irresponsible tenants, such as organising parties in the house and flouting the quarantine measures. It is now left to both parties to work out amicable solutions. For people looking for new places to rent, it has been a hectic process. For some, there isn’t a choice, and as sad as it may be, it seems this will be the way it is for a long time. This will continue at least until we start seeing a significant drop in new cases of COVID-19. Until then, proactive property management plans in place are the only way to continue in the face of this crisis.
