Landlord waives three months rent for tenants

The landlord of 3T Plaza, a residence at Teiman in the Ga East Municipal Assembly of the Greater Accra Region, has decided to help reduce the financial burden on his tenants, as Ghana continues to battle the Coronavirus pandemic, by waiving payments of three months rent for them.

The landlord in a letter dated 18th April 2020, said his tenants can deduct the three months rent from what they will be paying during their next renewal.

“This means that you will not pay rent for three months. This can be deducted at source in your next rent renewal payment. For those whose rent has expired and yet to pay, three-month rent should be deducted when making payment.”

The letter also offers tenants a flexible rent payment system until the end of the COVID-19 fight.

“You also have the flexibility to defer your rent payment until COVID-19 is over. You have the option to pay between one month to six months maximum for your rent advance,” the letter reads.

Most landlords in Ghana demand a minimum of two years advance before giving out rooms to potential tenants or even renewing agreements with existing tenants.

A few, however, accept one year advance but it is rear for a landlord to ask tenants to pay between one to six months rent.

This rent waiver comes at a time Former President John Dramani Mahama has urged President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to prevent landlords from evicting tenants who are unable to pay their rents due to challenges caused by the outbreak of COVID-19.

“Government and property owners would have to devise a scheme to come to the aid of tenants who are unable to pay their rents. A moratorium on ejections as a first step will be helpful to many who have lost their daily income as a result of the lockdown. In return, I believe Government can compensate landlords and landladies for any income lost through tax reliefs, exemptions among others,” John Mahama said.

Source: www.ghanaweb.com