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Let tenants who contract coronavirus ‘live rent-free for up to three months’

Private renters who contract coronavirus should be able to live rent-free for up to three months, according to a leading tax advisor. 

Richard Murphy, a chartered accountant and campaigner who runs Tax Research UK, wants to see significantly more support offered to tenants to help ensure that they are not at risk of losing their home if they suddenly fall ill. 

He wrote in a recent blog post: “Far too many people have too few savings to survive major periods of economic inactivity without massive prejudice to their short-term and long-term wellbeing.”  

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“Should the epidemic spread then as a matter of statutory right any tenant should be provided with a minimum three-month rent-free period to ease the stress upon them whilst this crisis lasts.” 

“I would suggest that the grant of that extension should be automatic to anyone who does not make a due payment of rent on the required date during the period of the epidemic. They should be automatically granted this extension by the landlord without having to make any further application or to complete any additional paperwork.”

 

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    As long as I get a 3-month holiday from mortgage, ground rent, service charges, maintenance and breakdowns.

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    well you pay my rent then !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! are you mad ??????????????????

  •  G romit

    Typical leftist idiocy.

    Have they not heard of the benefits system? You know the one created decades ago to help people who've fallen on hard times e.g. have contracted the coronavirus.
    But presumably the affected tenants don't need to eat as these idiots aren't calling for a food holiday from supermarkets, or warmth/hot water and have a gas/electricity holiday from the power companies?

  • Daniela Provvedi

    As a Landlord managing my own properties, am I allowed to live mortgage free for 3 months, if I contract Coronavirus?
    And if there is a maintenance issue and I have contracted Coronavirus, will my tenants sort the problem out themselves and pay the bill on my behalf?
    No need to reply, I know the answer....

  • Bill Wood

    Am I alone here?
    I have already assured one of my tenants, a company that services and supplies coffee vending machines, that I will help him by granting a rent holiday if needed.
    His business, of course, has stopped completely, so I either allow a rent holiday for a few months or loose him for good, and get no rent for maybe a year.
    We must be as flexible as possible, and it's nice to be nice.

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    There some trust worthy people that you can be flexible with, I rent a shop to a lady that does sandwiches , she has been a good tenant for the past 25 yrs, if she has to close I will of course give her a rent free period, residential tenants I will not, it is up to the government or local council to pay their rent, if rent not paid section 8 notice in the post, the government / local councils are no friends of us landlords, their doing, maybe they should have thought about that before they stuck the knife in between our shoulder blades, I treat people as they treat me, and I do bear a grudge

     
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    • 18 March 2020 12:24 PM

    This is crazy! I don't have 10 properties. I have literally 1 property and wouldn't be able to pay my mortgage without the rent! If they don't pay rent, they won't have a place to live anyway!

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    they will probably self isolate, good luck getting them out then?

     
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    Fine if the deposit covered three months rent.As ye reap.

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    Try as ye sow so shall ye reap. Back to bible classes methinks!

     
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    I have a few properties that are all BTL mortgages, BTL mortgages at the moment are not being offered the 'holiday' at the moment I have been informed. But to take this holiday may also affect any future mortgages etc in a negative way. So, do you think its fair for me to ask renters to pay X amount which will cover my mortgage cost and thus carry on continuously. Then with the 'arrears' ask them to pay back out of the 3 months over and above the normal rental until up to date. If the mortgages aren't paid, repo will happen and they will have to move out anyway.

  • Phil Priest

    Firstly landlords have been a target for the likes of Shelter and the government reducing deposits, forcing DSS, tenant fee bans, removal of the interest amount claimable, but now this clown is suggesting that after all that we give 3 months free?

    What planet is he on? Is he a landlord and is he doing this himself? I doubt it, and he calls himself an accountant.
    Another plug for his firm is about as good as it gets, but not all publicity is good!

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    So has a landlord that does not have a mortgage and needs the rent to live has this is my retirement fund and is all i get to live should go without food so my tenants can live free sounds great

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    The rent that I receive is my pension - used to supplement the basic state pension. If I get no rent, I will be forced to go without food and heating. The way to treat a 75-year old?

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    Funny how people are so quick to defend their own position while not thinking about others. What about students? My son has been sent home from Durham but I am expected to pay another 3.5 months for the property he can't stay at, while at the same time paying my own mortgage (and now subsidising my son living at home). There were six students in his private rented accommodation, each paying £500pm - ie £3000pm in total, or £36k pa. (includes services and heating). They already have to pay for a full 12 months (for a 9 month year). As there are now no students living there the landlord is now actually making more money as there are no heating or electricity costs. I have landlords as clients so I am well aware of how they have been attacked by the Government in recent years and have been supportive of them. But what has happened is no fault of the students and yet they are expected to fulfil their leases. How is it equitable that landlords suffer no loss at all and even, in these circumstances, make more money than before? And you're not telling me that the landlord is paying anything like £3kpm in mortgage payments. Reasonable landlords should reach some compromise - maybe reduce rent by half in these circumstances or at least give a month discount. The problem is that many landlords will have the opinion that everyone on here has and want his cake and eat it. Everyone is going to suffer. Taking the opinion that 'I'm alright Jack' just isn't going to cut it and will only further tarnish the name of landlords.

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    In this scenario. Negotiate then
    Start by offering a pound and work upwards

     
    Daniela Provvedi

    David, this situation is unusual, lets face it.
    I agree with you that the LL could give a discount. What I would do, as a LL, is cover my mortgage payments and then return the rest to the students (tenants). This way nobody loses.

     
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    Your student son, will claim his grant to pay the rent, he has a contract and both a legal and moral obligation to do so. Too many parents of students seem willing to teach their offspring to ignore their responsibilities when it suits. These young people are going to form the base of society in the future, so please, do not teach them bad habits.
    Many small landlords invest in property to help fund their retirements, as we all know the pressure on pensions is not sustainable. I don't see you cashing your pension in, to enable you to pay the rent for non-related students.

     
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    David - my son is in the same position and the agent is refusing to budge - we have asked for evidence that they have forwarded requests to the landlord - we are paying £42K for a 7 bedroomed terrace! The landlords need to take some pain here! Agent has been helpful in just threatening court action! Be interesting if the courts would be sympathetic and whether a 'force majeure' might exist??

     
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    I don't know why your son is paying £500 pm is paying first place for a room in Durham even with some services included. I don't get this kind of Rent in West London where property is much more expensive than Durham as I am aware.

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    Michael Foley - Don't believe the prices in Durham? Try also getting student accommodation for your child under £500 pm in Bristol! And the private purpose built are charging £225pw which desperate parents who could afford it were paying (note that is more per annum than governments maximum maintenance loan) as the universities were placing students whom couldn't afford that in halls in Newport - or their were giving up finding something affordable or deferring. Bath no better. My daughter's recently made a new friend and found out she is trying to survive on a £40 per month food budget since September and has now developed a health condition due to lack of eating sufficient food.

     
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    That is about as cheap as you can get in Durham (believe me, we looked). He was paying more in his first year in campus accommodation (about £650pm in a room he had to share, although that included food). Durham's problem is that it is a small city and there is limited accommodation available. What is available is owned by a small number of large property owners and they have forced the price up. The university turns a blind eye as it can charge the same high prices.

     
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    Richard Murphy is a chartered accountant. Is he willing to work for free for three months? Not to receive any salary from his employer or any payment from his clients so as to "ease the stress upon them whilst this crisis lasts"?

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    It is clear to me that this guy is a complete idiot, work for nothing? yer pull the other one.

     
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    • 19 March 2020 16:50 PM

    Is Richard Murphy an Idiot?

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    Hi Richard Murphy I think you are wonderful what a great idea, so you are going to pay at least 3 months rent to cover my Tenants, shall I send you the sort code & Account numbers so you can lodge the money directly into their Accounts.
    Many thanks
    Kind regards

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    Richard Murphy is a typical lefty nob.

    While government helps big business and bails out airlines, banks etc.
    Middle class landlords are forced to be charitable.
    F Off Boris!

    I'm trying to kick out a bunch of fraudster squatters who were screwing me over before coronavirus, and who are antisocial in the area. The original "tenant" is uncontactable and it looks like all the documentation he provided was fake (apart from his photo on the fake driving license).

    But yes, instead of evicting these criminals, I should be giving them 3 months extra free rent and cancel the eviction process (court in April).

    No f ing way !!! How unjust is that !!!!!!

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    OK so Richard is part of the looney left so lets not waste time on him
    With regards to student rental the gentleman above will no doubt be a guarantor so is legally liable on usually a joint and several basis of any of the tenants losses in total. No doubt the landlord would pursue him directly for any deficits. Maybe the landlord would grant a payment holiday say perhaps if a charge was put on his principal residence with a solicitor (who he pays the fee for). All of this may seem excessive but banks have similar policies. If renters are allowed to no pay rent, the implications go through the system to banks, mortgages repacks and pension funds....so dont act without thinking it through you may have a low pension in retirement

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    ok so , Richard Murphy not really a tax company more a front for spreading left wing tax policies. Tiny one band company that is also associated with environmental campaigners some of which have left the hand of the law. Why he is on this forum spreading his left wing agenda... but I guess that is all he does and it runs under a "front".

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    My son move 200 miles away for his job and had to rent his house. Obviously the rent is needed to cover his bills. The tenant has paid no rent for four months and is hopefully moving out soon. He has not contacted the letting agent with a payment plan. Would Richard Murphy provide a service with being paid. I doubt it. Non-payment of rent is theft in my opinion.

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