Tenant using the corona virus as an excuse not to pay rent

[Joyce Williams]

Hello all, just looking for some guidance and/or suggestions. I signed a family into a one year lease in October 2019.. the wife claimed that “money isn’t a problem”. I did a tenant background check and they had no evictions, nothing too concerning in their background and their salaries were more than sufficient to cover the rent. However, since November of 2019 they have been considerable late (at least six days and in on other months twenty eight days) paying their rent. They never reach out to me and tell me that they’ll be paying their rent late, I always have to reach out to them. Last month when they paid their rent over three weeks late, again, they informed me that they’d be paying March rent on March 8. March 8 came and went so I texted them on March 18 and they informed me that they’d be paying the rent on March 25. March 25 I received partial rent. Yesterday I reached out to them to find out when I’d get the balance and of course they informed me that I’ll get it when they get it because their work shut down.... I responded that they’d been late every month since November and the corona virus wasn’t a pandemic until after their rent was already late for March...... they have not responded to that.

[Karen O.]

You should have ran when you heard “money isn’t a problem”. I don't think anyone uses that other than those who are constantly late on their rent (see, money no problem, at least to them). Sadly, you should have filed notice first month and started eviction in second. Now you are probably stuck with them for 4 more months (and may not even be able to collect a penny, if some proposed NY bills go thru).