A lot of landlords would be thinking of the best ways to handle the potentially inevitable situation of tenants losing their jobs, what it means for their tenants, but also their rental business and their mortgages.
During the original lockdown, the Government put a temporary freeze on rent increases (valid until 25 September 2020) in a bid to provide relief to tenants facing reduced working hours or job losses as a result of the coronavirus crisis. There have not been any announcements around rent increase bans this time around. Landlords are encouraged to discuss any planned rent increases with their tenants and consider postponing rent increases if possible.
But the situation is not that simple as landlords still have to pay mortgages, rates, insurance, and maintenance costs. There are no home loan deferral schemes for homeowners. But you should contact your bank to discuss your options if you have been impacted by Covid-19 this time around.
It is important, however, to remain empathetic and compassionate about potential problems arising with tenants.
Firstly, landlords should strive to be proactive. Reach out to your tenants today, tell them you're completely aware of the current situation and would want to work with them to come up with a solution that works for you both if things get bad. But for this to happen, they need to contact you as soon as possible and not wait until rent arrears are racked up.
What can you do if your tenant loses their job?
Assuming another person in the household still has a job, you may be able to negotiate a payment plan, provide a rent discount or allow tenants to spread out payments if they urgently need to spend money on something else.
Seek outside assistance:
- There might be some financial support from the Government available to you.
- Budgeting services may provide some advice to anyone who is struggling with debt.
- WINZ may be able to assist with emergency payments. The tenants can visit their site to apply for Accommodation Supplement visit their website and/or Income Relief Payements.
If you're not registered as an accommodation provider, you can use myRent to help you collect payments from WINZ on your behalf.
- There might be an opportunity turning to the bank for the tenants to get a short-term loan.
- Lastly, landlords should review their insurance. Some might have policies in place covering for the loss of rent. Contact your insurance provider today to find out if they can assist in future.
It certainly pays to be prepared for what to come.
