Life

Do You Need to Pay Rent on the 1st?

Given the number of financial concessions that have been given to residents during the coronavirus-caused financial crisis, countless U.S. renters have been wondering whether they’re required to pay rent on April 1st. The short answer: yes. The longer answer: maybe not. “I’m getting inundated with calls and emails about this,” says New York tenants’ attorney Sam Himmelstein. Because there’s no official order concerning rent collection, landlords aren’t required to give tenants a break, Himmelstein notes. But he suggests talking to them about it because there’s a good chance they’ll think collecting some money would be better than collecting none. Then again, 23 states have revoked property owners’ rights to evict tenants during the pandemic, while several others have said landlords can’t evict if a tenant proves his or her lack of funds is directly related to the coronavirus pandemic. So if you live in one of these states, failing to pay shouldn’t be a problem — at least until the pandemic is over.

Has the coronavirus affected your ability to pay your bills? What other changes have come about because of the virus?

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