No Excuse! ‘If you are working, pay your rent’ – Hon Maduro-Caines
‘Tenants if you are working, pay your landlord, pay your rent, you have no excuse to pay your rent!” the Legislator said at the Tuesday’s September 29, 2020, Fourteenth Sitting of The Second Session of The Fourth HoA.
“If you’re working on half salary, speak to your landlord, some may be understanding, some may not be understanding, but I know it’s half and half,” Hon Maduro-Caines said.
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated job loss, the legislator highlighted that many have taken to social media to complain of strained relationships between landlords and tenants over the none payment of rent.
Speak to your landlords - Hon Maduro-Caines
“Don just say noting and not pay your rent, my advice to you is pay something, organize some kind of payment structure with your landlord... don’t just feel you can go about and not pay your rent because you are on half salary,” she said.
The Legislator further encourage landlords to not be ‘evil and selfish’ rather, work with tenants who are facing difficulties at this time.
She further urged landlords to not increase rent for persons who have allowed additional relatives to live on the rented property, ‘During this pandemic, we need to be more understanding to people’s needs and we need to help as much as we can during this time,” Hon Maduro-Caines said.
34 Responses to “No Excuse! ‘If you are working, pay your rent’ – Hon Maduro-Caines”
You paint with a Broad Brush on this one Honorable
Everyone needs food, shelter and clothing as a basic for surviving. Covid-19 created a negative externality for both tenants and landlords; it is a situation beyond both the control of both landlords and tenants. As such, evicting tenants should not be the initial option. However, as the Hon Maduro-Caines advised, tenants need to work with landlord to explain their situation and structure payment arrangements.
Moreover, government has a role to play in creating a somewhat of a win-win perhaps for both tenants and landlords. It can place a moratorium on evictions, waive late fees on rent payments, provide temporary unemployment , provide temporary housing allowance to the truly needy(paid directly to landlords at no more than current written contract)......etc. It should noted that Covid-19 has impacted Government revenue intake and it can only provide short time assistance. Government with the revenue decline still has to deliver other services, eg, collect garbage, provide police, healthcare, education, fire services, water, wastewater, road......etc services.
True, too many occupants in a building stresses the utilities(is septic system), hasten deterioration, overcrowding parking areas......etc. However, these are difficult times.
The island recently started the operation of a few organizations; hence I am sure they were living and paying rent with whatever they had saved.There must be a better way to deal with our plight.
Treat this as a natural disaster, because whenever the real disaster hit us, all we will have is each other to depend on.
Sometimes I believe its the strange things of evil that pop out of some people our mouths that break the relationship. I read sometime ago a woman wanted a tenant out her apartment and went on face book and state how they need to go, and if they do not go , she will burn the apartment down. I then start to wonder if the apartment belongs to the tenant. She was so full of anger, it confused her and mentally distrut her action. She did not realized this decreased her ability to rent to the right people. I love your comment.
pay the bank after I built my own house. It seems like you people think Land lords are responsible to keep a roof over your heads.