Everyone is equal when viruses are concerned and it doesn’t matter which part of society you are from – whether you are a tenant or a landlord… it’s a message from Edinburgh estate agency to their tenants who have been affected by COVID-19.
In their letter to renters, Murray & Currie Property stress that landlords “are no different” to tenants and they too have suffered from the Coronavirus crisis and might have been furloughed or lost their jobs.
The agent also highlights that mortgage payment holidays offered to buy to let landlords mean that payments which have been paused for up to three months, will have to be made later on.
‘Moral contract’
Therefore, Murray & Currie are asking tenants who have difficulties paying their rent as a result of the pandemic, to sign a ‘moral contract’ in which they commit to settle the arrears as soon as possible.
The letter reads: “Your landlord has been made aware of your situation and we have communicated with them regarding your rental position.
“We are sending you this Tenant Charter as a moral contract to commit to working with your landlord and Murray & Currie Property and agree to unconditionally commit your intention to repay your rental shortly/arrears in full.
“Your landlord may also have been furloughed or even worse lost his/her job so it is important for you to know that they are no different to you and I, and they too have been affected by Covid-19.
“It is worth noting that any mortgage holiday a landlord may take must be paid back and they are in no way financially benefiting from any banking or government initiatives. There is no financial gain for landlords.”
At the bottom of the letter there is a tear-off slip which reads: “I … [name] agree to pay my part and be part of the team. I am committed to paying all rental arrears and honour my moral obligation to play my part.”
