Many tenants have been negatively impacted by job losses, layoffs, and illness during the Coronavirus pandemic. Because so many of our neighbors are concerned about being able to pay their rent, we wanted to share some information that might be helpful.
The best advice is we can give, if you are finding yourself in a challenging financial situation due to the pandemic, is to communicate early and often with your landlord. And remember that your landlord may be experiencing hardship as well, especially if s/he is a small real estate investor with only a few properties.
Take advantage of any unemployment or other assistance that might be available to you, and make sure you budget for your housing with your economic stimulus payment. If you can afford to pay some of your rent, offer to do that. Paying something is better than nothing at all, because whatever amount you are behind will quickly come due when the eviction moratorium ends. Paying what you can each month will mean you have less to catch up on later.
If you have the ability to pay, do it. If you are still working and are not experiencing rough economic times, then don’t use the pandemic as an excuse to not pay. You still have an obligation and a legal contract, and it’s best to honor it to the extent that you can. However, if you truly have an economic need, then your landlord will likely welcome you taking the initiative to work out an arrangement.
We are here to help! If you are thinking about buying or selling a home, Contact Virginia via email at v@virginiagee.com or (602) 526-2672.
