Forum spotlight: Arranging a rent reduction

Our members only forum is a good place to share experiences with other landlords and seek advice.

A landlord recently posted a question on our forum asking how to arrange a rent reduction, after one of his tenants got in touch to say that they couldn’t afford to pay the full amount. The landlord wanted to help the tenant out and learn more about the support available.

The landlord said they are a good tenant, and he wanted to come to a solution that would work for them both. 

The responses 

The first landlord to comment on the thread recommended the landlord arrange to have a discussion over the phone with the tenant to learn more about their financial situation.

This forum user said it could be worth discussing a rent reduction for three months and finding out about the tenant's working situation, for example, whether they are at risk of losing their job? The rent reduction should be an amount the tenant can reasonably afford, and the situation can be reviewed in three months’ time.

Another landlord on the forum agreed the suggestion of offering a three month rent reduction was a good one, and recommended that the landlord check with the tenant if they are able to claim any welfare support.

Then an adviser from our landlord advice team joined the thread.

They agreed with the other users, and confirmed the NRLA is continuing to call for more financial support for landlords and tenants affected financially by the pandemic.

In addition to this, the adviser pointed out that the NRLA’s financial support guidance includes up-to-date information for landlords on the matter.

The NRLA also has guidance for landlords on practical ways landlords and tenants can work together to address rent arrears that may be building up due to the pandemic. The guide covers topics such as agreeing a sensible rent reduction, and how to create a rent repayment plan.

The landlord who posted the question thanked everyone for their responses and said they would be giving the tenant a call to discuss the situation with them and work out a rent reduction, initially for three months. To read the original post, click here.