Tenants trying to claim COVID reasons for not paying

[Tiffany Drahonovsky]

Hello folks- 

I'm seeing a lot of comments on social media about tenants not paying to moratorium on evictions, and I've seen a lot of landlords "forgive" a month. How is this reasonable? I have a mortgage on that property and my payment is still due. 

The only reason rent should not be paid is if a job loss, illness due to covid or need to care for someone with covid was my understanding. It is my opinion that a lot of the renter community in my market, Milwaukee, WI is looking for a freebie. 

Many think they can just skip payment due to the virus and lie. To me,this is a business, a human business, but I didn't get the house for free free to rent. To properly maintain it and improve it, I depend on that rent. Interested in others' thoughts on this. 

If my tenant hadn't already tried to work me 3x in the three months I've had this property (she was in place turnkey when I bought it in Jan) then I may have more compassion... but I am feeling like she and others in town think this is an opportunity to scam property owners, and this is not just, fair or with any integrity- as a human or a tenant. She claimed that she had been paying rent the 3rd week of the month and could not pay her fist month with me of Feb.... which was not true, I had the rent rolls showing payment date at purchase. But, to be human, I wrote an addendum allowing her to pay Feb back over 3 or 6 months in addition to her normal rent. Then in April, she didn't pay so I texted her to remind her that rent was due on the 1st and as of the 5th, a late fee would be assessed. She claimed she had covid and no money- yet I have  verification from her that she's on disability and that is not impacted with COVID. The next day she had the cash and no mask- no sickness at all. 

I am a hard working person (single mom, too!) with a kid and bills to pay, too. Why should one person's problems be weighed more than another's when no one in this situation is impacted by the virus. I feel like my tenant has no idea that if I default on her home, I also have my personal home at risk as I used some of my equity there for the downpayment.... Well, I did tell her that... and that my W2 job had been eliminated (truth) when she complimented my car as I picked up the rent. It's a convertible sports car... in good shape.. but it's a 2003.....17 years old! Which I told her, thanks, I try to take really good care of my things so I can keep them as long as this car. Thoughts on scamminess of this, or is this normal tenant behavior looking for handouts? (I hate to think like that, am I wrong?)