Rent Collection During a Pandemic

Chelsea Driscoll • April 29, 2020

We are living during a crisis thatis unlike anything landlords in San Diego have ever experienced before. The Coronavirus has resulted in several severe actions being taken at all levels of government. It is true to say we are no longer living in the status quo. The governor of California recently issued an executive order declaring a moratorium on evictions until May 31, 2020. We do not know yet if there will be another government requirement regarding rent collection. It is essential to know what to do in these hard times.

Rent Collection Might Be Threatened

Many people are being furloughed from work and no one knows when they will be called back. This does impact the ability to pay rent. Tenants must be able to prove they are impacted or affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Landlords must be ready to accept and review paperwork from the tenants.

Bank statements, bills, or statements from an employer regarding financial circumstances all need to be examined. A landlord must be careful about being dismissive of any of these documents.

A tenant who can no longer pay the rent has to declare it in writing no more than seven days after the rent becomes due. The governor’s executive order does not remove the obligation to pay any rent owed. In other words, a tenant might be hit with a hefty bill on June 1, 2020, for all money they owe.

Compassion Is Advised

A landlord in San Diego is making a terrible mistake if that property owner is not cultivating relationships with tenants. A working understanding of what to do, and how to do it, is going to help relieve the high anxiety being experienced by many tenants.

This pandemic is an extraordinary situation and people are still trying to find ways to adjust to it. Landlords need to be careful about how they handle the rent situation. Being stern is not going to help and can result in some horrible comments placed on Yelp and other consumer-related boards.

This is a time when landlords need to think about how to handle back rent and deferred rent payments. Property owners with no experience with these situations will be caught in a bad situation. It helps to have a third-party property management company in San Diego deal with such problems. These professionals can make suggestions that will prevent major problems. Alta Vista Properties is one of the best property management companies in San Diego and has a reputation for dealing well with tenants.

We Respect the Tenant

Alta Vista Properties understands that this is a traumatic period in the history of our nation, and people are stressed out about what is happening and how their living situation may be affected.

The respect and trust we have cultivated with tenants are paying off during this pandemic period. We have always been transparent, and those who live in our managed rentals appreciate that.

We always work with tenants to resolve problems that arise, and the pandemic is not going to change that philosophy. We advise our clients on how to handle the situation best and what their options are. We will look carefully at any paperwork a tenant provides us regarding their financial situation and will continue to look ahead to see what we may have to do in the coming weeks. We sincerely hope that everything will be back to normal as soon as possible. However, we want to assure our present clients, and any prospective client that Alta Vista Properties will be ready for any changes in the situation at hand.

Please do inquire at any time about our property management services. We can be reached at 858-274-3600 or by email at info@altavistaproperties.net. We look forward to hearing from you and answering your questions.

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