The Landlords and Tenants Association of Kenya (LATAK) has called for a three-month rent waiver due to the financial challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking during a media briefing on Wednesday, the association’s officials asked the government to order all landlords to waiver rent for the months of April, May, and June to cushion tenants, both commercial and residential, against the effects of the virus.
To achieve this, the association said the government should help landlords servicing loans to get a six-month moratorium from lenders.
“Mr. President, on a credible mediation process, start with writing off rent for three months with no threats, notices, locking houses, disconnection of water/electricity and eviction by auctioneers,” said LATAK.
In addition, LATAK demanded a rent compensation package introduced into the Covid-19 response kitty.
Last week, a Kenyan landlord earned praise from Kenyans online after he decided to offer his tenants a two-month rent waiver in the wake of Covid-19 outbreak.
Michael Munene, who owns residential and commercial houses in Kinangop, Nyandarua County, said he decided to forego the rent due to the relationship he has with his tenants. Having supported him for many years, Munene said it was his turn to stand with them during this difficult period.
Munene earns Sh84,000 per month from residential units, and Sh30, 000 monthly from the commercial units, bringing the total to Sh114, 000. This means he will forego Sh228,000 in rental income for the two months.
“Most of my tenants work on flower farms, and I heard that some could lose their jobs soon. I looked at the situation, and decided to waive the two months’ rent,” he told Citizen TV, adding that he would extend the waiver of the crisis persists.
“I would assess the situation and see whether I can extend the mercy period.”
That is unfair because some…
That is unfair because some landlord are paying for electricity & water for their tenants. They should let it for the landlord to arrange with their tenants. Some of them even do not have money to support their families.
That’s akin to asking for…
That’s akin to asking for debt repayment aboard a sinking Titanic.
Expect defaults.
Expect defaults.
Did this so called landlord…
Did this so called landlord association helps me build my appartments??If they did then they can talk on my behalf??The gavament needs to come out and states what they will offer we the tenants if we give them 3 free months?We do pay taxes monthly so can the same gavament come out n states that they will give us 1 year free from paying rental tax if we give kenyans free rent because it’s gavament responsibility to take care of kenyans when there is such epidemic???Where uhuru/rao got more than 10b of bbi monies need to get the kenyans monies in this struggling times.
@Mhalisi, hapo umedungwa…
@Mhalisi, hapo umedungwa kabisa. Are you not a member of this association talking on your behalf? Watatumia maji halafu utalipa miezi tatu. That’s a hardship my brother, continue fighting.
I thought mhalisi you were…
I thought mhalisi you were immune to external environment based on your Kenya is where ultimate is, welcome to geopolitical economic 101 _ they didn’t teach you that did they in your kym jobs in US. You see some of us studied geopolitical economic us + MBA degrees etc know how the world works but you have been here preaching invest in Kenya yada yada and vilifying most us who dont assume Kenya as our primary homes…. oh USA is not home bs, guess what those diasporan hardships kitty renumerations from Feds akin $1200 etc from Kenyans permanent residents and citizens will help your tenants pay rent and other sectors of .KE economy. So for the next decade you need to stop payukaring here with your Kenya this and that and please if Covid19 knock of wood goes haywire there dont seek refuge huku na your family, stay there and be very patriotic
hehehe…. Those buloti…
hehehe…. Those buloti houses will be renting for a loaf of bread for a loooong time to come….. I hope at @mhalisi will keep us posted ….
I know Uhuru has a heart to…
I know Uhuru has a heart to his poor struggling people and without challenging him he has already felt this long ways along and within time he’ll emerge out to be a responsible leaders for both the tenants and landlords. Show them Baba that you even refused to deal with corrupt leaders no matter what!
You can not make such…
You can not make such declarations without involving all concerned parties and more so the banks. Are the banks okay with loan defaults? Some tenants are still working hence do not need help. These are probably the people who stole tax payers money to build rentals and therefore can not relate the hardships of others. Three months is a long time. They should have suggested a month to month waiver depending on need basis.
@Mugikuyu, what choice do…
@Mugikuyu, what choice do banks have …the way things are? Things are bad….uncertainty and all. I see a future where the market will be flooded with empty, devalued properties… and rents dropping with a thud.
It’s the government that…
It’s the government that should take care if it’s citizens not the landlords. Taxes are paid to the government. Let the government do its work. Landlords should not bear its burden. All the money stolen from the government by corrupt workers is more than enough to care for its citizens at this time of travail. What are people like Wanjigi and Kirubi doing to help. Some landlords worked very hard and sacrificed a lot to erect their simple structures for rent. Some took loans, others used their meager salaries, sold land to build a structure. Are you telling them to sacrifice more? Landlords who stole money to buy or build huge structures for rent should be the ones who should stop collecting rent for the rest of the year. At least they owe the people they stole from.
Aaaaah…how do we tell the…
Aaaaah…how do we tell the landlords who stole from those who didn’t? That criterion will be hard to develop….and hence, a blanket rule.
People are talking about…
People are talking about free rent and earthly riches and what not, while i am thinking if this mess is over yet or it will sweep me as I am not immune like we all are. Oops the properties and tuplots I have will protect me. Oh well if it take me of course I am going to heaven rich by the grace of the Lord