Tenants who are not paying their rent because of the COVID-19 pandemic are causing severe financial problems for property owners.
Several landlords told Barbados TODAY that since the national shutdown started in March they have been finding it difficult to get their rent from tenants who are using Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley’s appeal for landlords to be lenient as an excuse not to pay up.
The landlords argued that while the tenants are not keeping up their end of the contract, as property owners, their personal financial commitments, including mortgage payments and utility bills for the rental properties, are piling up.
Dwayne Johnson said he was frustrated dealing with the issue to the point that he was forced to make the decision on Monday to have the electricity turned off at one of his all-inclusive rental studio apartments.
He explained that the light bill at that location had reached over $900 and also noted that even before the pandemic started the tenant had owed him hundreds in rent.
“Tenants are telling me that Mia Mottley said that basically tenants cannot be evicted and that tenants should not be paying rent, light, water or WIFI because it is free until COVID-19 is over. That is what a few of my tenants have told me and some of them are working.
“This is extremely frustrating because at the same time, the bank is expecting me to pay my mortgage and the Barbados Light & Power is expecting me to pay them. I have to pay the water bill. I am not going to turn off the water because that is a basic necessity. My packages include utilities and WIFI, so if you do not pay the rent I cannot pay the bills. You are putting me in a situation where I am going to be bankrupt and out of business and I am not going to be able to feed my kids,” he said.
Johnson who said he has had to employ the services of his lawyer to deal with the matter, said he understands that the pandemic has made it difficult for some persons to meet their financial obligations.
He said this is why since March he offered his tenants the opportunity to negotiate to pay some of the rent so he could at least pay the bills to keep them on.
However, Johnson noted that some tenants were not even willing to negotiate.
“Tenants owe, tenants left, tenants don’t pay me because they are using COVID-19 as an excuse. I am like guys, you still have to pay the light but they are like no we ain’t paying. We are going to live and you can’t do anything about it.
“I am not getting into any physical confrontation with anybody. I am going to use the law. I am going to go through my lawyer to deal with that. And then when people owe you money, sometimes it is difficult for you to get this money because the court process really takes time and you still have to pay the lawyer,” he said.
Another landlord who asked for her name not to be used related to Barbados TODAY that she has been experiencing the same issue her tenants.
The elderly lady said from speaking to other landlords she believed tenants had taken the Prime Minister’s appeal out of context.
She said a husband and wife who she believes are still working have not paid rent for the past four months.
“Prime Minister Mottley asked landlords to be lenient on tenants. But when you got a tenant that owes you before this thing happen what do you do? But yet the water people telling you where to pay the water bill. I could understand when somebody genuinely doesn’t have, but not that you owe me before and then you telling me nonsense.
“If somebody usually pay you good then you could be lenient on them because you know when they start back to work they will start paying you. I even hired a bailiff for that husband and wife and them tell me they are not frightened for no bailiff and leaving every morning. And I can tell you a lot of landlords having this problem,” the landlord said.
When contacted, another landlord said she has two apartments, each occupied by a couple.
She said while one couple negotiated to pay half of the rent until their financial situation returned to where it should be the occupants of the other apartment informed her that they will resume paying rent after the pandemic has passed.
“What got me vex is that the boyfriend not working but the girlfriend is an essential worker. They don’t have any children, so why can’t they even negotiate like the other two that they will pay half the rent?
“People see landlords as unfair. But people need to understand that landlords have bills, mortgages to deal with and families to support too. And landlords dealing with the corona virus like everybody else,” the aggrieved landlord lamented.
[email protected]
Read our ePaper. Fast. Factual. Free.
Sign up and stay up to date with Barbados' FREE latest news.
First of all. The Barbados Government needs to have some Rental Board set up, cause some of these rental prices are just totally ridiculous. Some of these landlords are just blatantly greedy. And yes you have those tenants that are just comfortably wicked also not going to dispute that. So their needs to be some regulatory authority in place. Secondly, for the landlord who had his light bill at such a high rate why did you allow to reach over $900.00. What some of you land lords fail to see is that you need to have contingencies in place. Why charge security deposits on renting properties. When you all cannot facilitate issues as these. That means you all are just not handling your accounts properly. If you charge a security deposit that money should not be touched at all only tin extreme cases such as this. Most rental include water utility, some do both some goes to the extent of having all utilities so the rent can more money. No. That should be. The Government needs to be the body to regularize certain thing and Gazette it into law. Maybe there is already but it’s not being implemented.
Rent should categorize according to to size of property being rented.
Private property should have a standard rental cost.
Apartment should have a standard rental cost depending on its components included so that tenants will be able to pay their end and this must be mandatory.
All rental properties must be registered and given some code as if their is any breach penalties will be attracted. Whether it’s a villa private rental etc..
Security Deposits must be in a separate account and must be declared by landlord when filing for Taxes failure to do so a penalty of $500,000 to a million depending of size of property will be given. This should be mandatory
Tennant must be given a letter to acquire light, if this not done by the land lord a penalty of $5000.00 dollars will charged this also should be mandatory.
Offerings of any other utility from landlord to tenant will be prohibited.
Water should be included in the rental cost no changes to that at all
Light.. tenants must given a letter from land to have that utility in their names.
All other utilities must be acquired by the Tennant with agreement from the land lord.
That my opinion.
Everybody has a problem “dipping” into there own savings for themselves to succeed. I Thought the purpose of savings. Is to use in times like these. But apparently all across the board its meant to stay in accounts and “style” or use other ppl money. In the first place rental fees have sky-rocketed where 2 incomes is needed to pay rent just for a mere 2 bed 1 bath. Not only that its basically to small because they want to chop an average size 2-storey house at least into 4 units and have the nerve to call it a “Condo”. Again for landlords they scheme the “business” tentants must pay their mortage in a building they want to rent and make money just because “Mr Johnson” is doing it. But Mr Johnson been a Landlord for years passed down properties which mortgages been paid for since 19eversince and took the position without tentants I would be nothing. I can go on and on and talk about how the realtors got in wanna heads just for themselves to get bigger commissions. Now look where it have the landlords. Apparently its a luxury to rent, tenants simply go back to your mother or father house and let them have back they place. These new age landlords or money hungry individuals can not escape what the rest of what Barbados is feeling.
This is the entitlement mentality of Barbadians I have been addressing in this forum for a while now.
It is so ingrained into the Barbadian psyche that things won’t change for the better in a hurry. Successive Governments are to blame for this entitlement mentality of Barbadians.
The evidence is stark. People building houses on lands that is not theirs. Gov’t giving free university education to people who can afford to pay. Allowing school children and seniors to travel on public transportation for free. Keeping deadweight non performing people on Gov’t payroll, turning a blind eye to businesses that blatantly refused to pay millions and millions of taxes owed to the treasury, allowing businesses that refused to pay employee deductions to the NIS to continue doing so without fear of retribution and plenty more indiscretions too numerous to mention here.
Until all these things are dealt with seriously, the entitlement mentality among Barbadians will never ever be eradicated.
I sympathize with some landlords but then they have some like the one i in his house ….which in dire need of repairs …i still took the agreed rent every month for the past seven years ….now he isnt a nice person but i am fair …he bring a letter asking me to sign saying he taking up the rent ….i ask why ..he say the house want repairing and i keep coming to him bout it so he has to raise the rent . I didnt sign it and i disagreed with him please bare in mind ..the house leaked so bad at a point in time..i had to throw out my virtually new living room suite amd two full size beds from being soaked ..they got wet repeatly …couldnt do nothing else with them …kitchen floor was bad …wrong tiles in bathroom (slipped and broke my rotator cuff) termites own the house…had to lick down a nest in the middle bedroom and i have a garbage bag stick up at a window to help hold back the water from coming in …i constantly spray to keep the termites at bay ….i have asthmatic children one is very bad…despite alllll thesethe only thing he told me is that he interested in his rent…he wanted more i refuse to sign and continued to take the agreed amount of rent …he refuse it saying that aint the amount …i did this for three months ..(i have never missed paying him at no point i have all my receipts)… in december he gave me an eviction letter saying i refuse him his money…he went as far as to put locks on the doors which only two doors barely work on the house cause i does have to tie them sometimes …and lock me in ….police came …he said i owe him months and he want me out. Im trying very hard to find somewhere for me and my children …now tell me if he ain deserve one of the tenants that the other landlords have ….but its hard to find a proper landlord with a proper house at a proper price ….
I know PM Mottley meant well but as soon as I heard that appeal, thought to myself that there would be lots of tenants who will abuse their landlord’s goodwill. It is a very unfair situation for the landlords and this tells me that there are many people walking around without a conscience and so selfish when it comes to their fellowman. I agree with the landlords, seek legal justice.
It is unjust tenants are reluctant, in some cases, while outright defiant in other cases to refuse to pay their rent. This position of a temporary cessation of rent as outlined by the prime minister may be seen a stopgap measure to counter the difficulties brought on by the pandemic. It certainly wasn’t intended to be needlessly exploited by tenants.
Shame on them that can and don’t!!! Really ppl come on…
You must want to be homeless one day! A homeless person would give anything to have a roof over their head
Mia Mottley’s GOVT should assist these tenants with some sort of Rent Relief Grant…to pay the Landlords their DUE Rent,just as the T&T Govt
I agree with the land lord bcus I am one myself Mia motley should have never said anything bcus the banks need they money ….light…and water well well ….I think the pm should come n address her mistake
Yes I wk psv an I work 5 sometime 6 some days I don’t bring home no money some days I wk for 20 or 30 so how can I pay rent I try explain to my landlord that but he doesn’t care
Listen folks we as landlord or agent need to have the court speed up the process to have these tenants evicted, I have a tenant who hasn’t paid rent since December, utilities since January and now this Corona thing, the courts need to do something soon in favor of the landlords , we too have responsibilities and need to survive also in these times.
Help us landlords we have responsibilities too.
From the minute that statement dropped and repeated by the acting prime minister, my heart dropped
No government has a right to get involved in private contractual agreements, covid or no covid
It was a loose statement in a democratic society
Just like the chaos caused by saying that supermarkets will be closed until further notice, I also saw this coming
Many more will die mentally and emotionally from the effects of covid than covid itself
The government has given the wrong impression to these dishonest people but if it me after the virus is over I would give them notice but you can see these white mouth fowls is trouble. The government is the same the people that welfare pay their rent the rent doesn’t get paid either sometimes 3-4 months. To rent a property now is a risk because people work hard all their life try to provide a small income for their old age and to let your people come and want to use you and the government back them up . It is so unfair and them same ungrateful people wear all the brand name out fits how ever you look at it it is very wrong
People like been unreasonable. If you owe rent before the pandemic and still have not try making plans to pay you should be evicted. If you cannot pay one month how are you going to pay 6 months ? I can understand that some people finance has changed, but make arrangements to pay some of your bills Some Landlords are disgusting but that doesn’t give you the right not to pay your bills. It is your name that will be blacklisted. Soon no one will rent you their property. What the Prime Minister Motley did asked was in good faith but people are taking it out of context. She never said to live in people places and don’t pay them. So I hope that common sense will prevail, though common sense is not very common among most people. Are they can live under the rock at the end of the pandemic.
It’s an absolute joke! People think Landlords got millions so they can afford to let people live in their house for free. People, if you can’t afford to pay the rent on one of the overpriced houses wunna complaining bout, move somewhere else!! It is conniving and heartless to move into a house knowing you have no intention to pay your rent. It is minipulative and deceitful to withold the rent knowing you are working and able. Bad minded Bajans, it is wunna dat does make people let houses stand there and rot instead of renting it out!
Have some pride and do the right thing!
Tenants are using this Pandemic as a way to get out of paying rent Remember your land lord has other responsibilities
Where is the Minister of Housing? Some Landlords addressed the issue of the Landlord & Tenants Act which is well out of date and in dire need of being UPDATED. The Laws outside of COVID benefit the Tenants and is being exploited by some due to the lengthy time it takes to get to court. Then even after the case some are given another 6 weeks to leave the premises. That is about 4 to 5 months rent that is due. Then Landlords have to go back to court in order to claim the overdue money, they also need to locate the defaulting tenant for notices to be filed and also pay a Lawyer for assistance in the process.
Totally unfair and unjust process burdening the Landlord and allowing Tenants to default and abscond.
Some people are really ridiculous, from the time i heard the PM said what she said i felt this getting out of hand. 1st a security deposit is used if the tenant damages the house, cant pay a bill or the rent. 2nd if those who are still working and refuse to pay the rent it is very inconsiderate of them. I would give way to those who became unemployed, but for a tenant to come and tell me the PM said dont pay rent until COVID is over would follow an eviction notice when COVID is indeed over because if you can not afford to pay me one month i dont see you paying me in full the next 4 months or when ever. The PM will not offer to pay my bills when they mount up neither will she offer to pay those with mortgages payments to the bank. When you go to the supermarket and you cannot afford an item you leave it, if you cannot afford rent then leave.
@WHITTER, what you are asking is unreasonable.
Landlord have bills to pay like anyone else. If I offer an apartment at 1500 and you think its not worth it, then move on to another listing. I offer it at 1500 because I believe its worth that. Its a business like any other, I offer a service, if you want it you’ll take it or move on to the next business.
The government has no right in it. The government cant provide housing for everyone seeking a home to own or rent, that’s where private citizens come in.
@Donild Trimp, that is when you are constantly fed on a diet of “Freeness”.
Welcome to BIM, the GEM of the Caribbean. Where else in the world you can just show and get FREE land…….Only in BIM. Sweet fa days.
Do unto others with respect as you would like them do unto you. Tenants you need a roof over your head so try to make some attempt to pay the rent and appreciate what you have because not everyone have a roof over their head. If you’re not happy with your current living accommodations then move some place else and just remember that the grass is not always greener where ever you go.
Landlords, if you want the tenants to appreciate and care for your place as if it is their own you should fix the repairs that’s needed.
@Whitter First of all, most security deposits cover one month. This thing started in March and we are in July. What would a security deposit which is the equivalent of one month’s cover? It would mean that landlords should require a minimum of three months’ security from tenants. Can you afford to pay that? To say that they are not “handling [their] accounts properly” is not justified.
Secondly, I agree that some landlords take advantage with their rental rates. But no one is going to rent a property for next to nothing when they have a mortgage, and upkeep and maintenance costs, and utilities to pay. People want to live in nice apartment in a nice area, but do not want to pay. If the rates are too high for you, move on to somewhere else.
Thirdly, some of these dishonest people would not pull these “non-payment” stunts with the bank because they would not want to lose their homes. They would find the money to pay that mortgage very quickly without complaint.
Fourthly, a standard rental cost is not practical. Do you think a one bedroom apartment in Sandy Lane and a one bedroom apartment in Bridgetown are on the same level and should cost the same. It will never happen.
Fifthly, the government cannot even regulate their own properties. How will they regulate properties owned by private citizens?
Nobody gives a damn about you. You have to get up and work hard to make things better for yourself and your family. I have my own place because I sacrificed and hustled to buy a few blocks and cement here and there. I am not fighting with anybody about their rent and how much to charge, because nobody can tell me about mine.
The bigger picture here is the question of how many of these so called landlords are actually registered and how many are actually paying vat???. Many people are using rent as a form to subsidize their income..wait your collecting rent and no VAT????. Did we mention house insurance. Yes insurance! Have these landlords instructed their insurance company that their dwelling is not principle residence but rather a rental property…or even better yet…maybe there is no insurance! Bottom line is this…the government needs to clamp down on illegal and unregistered rental properties. This way the playing field will be leveled for all!!