Coronavirus: Landlady gives tenants vital advice amid outbreak
17 March 2020, 20:56 | Updated: 17 March 2020, 20:57
This landlady gave vital advice to tenants during the coronavirus pandemic after the Chancellor's new economic measures did not include any support for renters.
The Chancellor has announced there will be a three month mortgage holiday for anyone affected by the coronavirus pandemic. There was, however, no measures announced for anyone who rents their home.
Landlady Debbie told LBC of her predicament which may affect other tenants; she has requested her tenants leave the property because she needs to move back in - she has lost her job and has a baby.
She said that she really wanted to help her tenants during this time and "it was with a lot of regret but I did it, but the circumstances meant I had to do that." She also revealed that since she gave the eviction notice the tenants stopped paying rent.
"What I want to say to private renters is speak to your landlord. If they can help you they will do. It's a very complex thing getting someone removed from the house...we don't want to do it. We want people in our house, we want them to be paying the rent, we want them to be looking after our property," she said.
Debbie stressed that in this uncertain time tenants must keep communicating with landlords and tenants must but remember landlords aren't always wealthy themselves and they have things they have to think about as well.
Finance editor Claer Barrett agreed that landlords are not a homogeneous category - some may be losing out by renting but are unable to sell. This may be "strangely comforting" to some private rentals, she said.
"Anyone who is renting and may think am I going to get thrown out of this place in a few weeks because I can't pay the rent, take some comfort from that. But also take the responsibility of phoning your landlord so they know what's going on."
