# What next when tenants refuse to pay rent or utility bills during COVID19 crisis?



## Ginger123 (29 Apr 2020)

Hello, 

I understand the process of issuing eviction notices are a grey area at this time however how do landlords protect themselves when tenants are refusing to pay their rent or utility bills during the pandemic?


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## allaround (29 Apr 2020)

if the bill is in the name of the tenant, is the liability not with the name on the account?


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## Vanessa (29 Apr 2020)

Liability is with whosever name is on the account. If someone defaults it is up to the utility company to chase that down.


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## Ginger123 (29 Apr 2020)

The utility bills are in the name of the tenants.  Said tenants do not use internet banking and are refusing to pay rent into my account as they do not want to enter an enclosed space such as a bank, they are cocooning. Of course this is a try-on as tenants are early 30's and have been seen purchasing beer.

They are aware I am unable to travel due to present restrictions.  Almost two months rent arrears have accumulated.


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## Baby boomer (29 Apr 2020)

As a landlord, you are providing an essential service.  The regulations allow you to travel in connection with this purpose.

The regulations also allow anyone to travel to obtain money.  Now that was probably intended to cover going to a bank or atm but the law is what is written not what is intended.  So, should you decide to travel to collect your rent, you're covered on either count.

If you can't, or don't want to, you should go ahead and serve a notice of arrears anyway.  Serve a fresh one for each month missed.  You can't proceed with the next step which is a notice of termination but you should make a start anyway.

Finally, do refer the case to the RTB dispute resolution service.  They *claim* they are looking at how to provide an adjudication service in the current times.  I wouldn't have great confidence in them but they're all you've got available to you.  They are also offering telephone mediation.  If your tenants are anyway reasonable, this might work.  But if not, you'll eventually have to go through the RTB to evict them anyway.  So you might as well get in the queue.  It'll be crowded so get in early!


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## Purple (30 Apr 2020)

It's just incredible what some people try. When the lockdown happened I texted my landlord to tell him that I would continue working and that there would be no issues with rent being paid. No point in having him worry needlessly.


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## Silvius (30 Apr 2020)

What Baby boomer said, get going with the notice of arrears and let the tenants know you're not going to let this slide. Take note of all communication with them and put everything in writing. Contact the PRTB. While they do have a reputation of favouring tenants over landlords I know a few landlords who won their cases with the PRTB by being crystal clear on all the facts, having all the evidence and coming across like genuine, reasonable people. Shocking behaviour from the tenants.


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