A landlady, Joyce Terkper, at Oyarifa in the Greater Accra Region has granted a three-month rent waiver to her tenants to minimise any economic hardship brought on to them by the novel Coronavirus outbreak.
The landlady in a letter dated April 18, 2020, said: “We are pleased to inform you that three-month rent payment has been waived to help reduce the hardship the COVID-19 pandemic has brought as a result of the lockdown”
The letter further clarified that “This means that you will not pay rent for three months. This can be deducted at source in your next rent renewal payment. For those whose rent has expired and yet to pay, three-month rent should be deducted when making payment.”
The landlady in the letter also said the tenants have the flexibility to defer payment until the pandemic is over.
“You have the option to pay between one month and six months maximum for your rent advance,” she added.
Freeze rents, ban ejection of tenants – Mahama
In a related development, former president and flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama had earlier called on the Akufo-Addo government to place a moratorium on the ejection of tenants who are unable to pay their rents due to challenges caused by the outbreak of COVID-19 in Ghana.
John Mahama said the government can also consider a scheme that will support tenants struggling to pay their rents.
“Government and property owners would have to devise a scheme to come to the aid of tenants who are unable to pay their rents. A moratorium on ejections as a first step will be helpful to many who have lost their daily income as a result of the lockdown. In return, I believe Government can compensate landlords and landladies for any income lost through tax reliefs, exemptions among others,” John Mahama said.
Read the landlady’s letter below
