Nothing’s easy during this crazy coronavirus crisis we’re all trying to live through. It’s not easy being a landlord either when we’re all in a sort of foxhole together . . . at war!
So happens I own an office building in downtown Boca Raton, where like everywhere else, businesses are hurting. I run mine, TransMedia Group, a PR firm, out of the same building where I also have tenants.
These days, my tenants are more like comrades fighting alongside me in the same war.
Business owners like me and their workers can’t even get to their offices. They’re stuck like I am, behind the front lines, working remotely from foxholes at home.
So how do you ask for the rent when it’s past due and as landlord your own bills for upkeep and maintenance keep mounting?
I’ve found that besides a plethora of patience, some humor helps.
Here’s what I sent to a tenant the other day who’s two-months behind in his rent and the poor guy’s business is showing no signs of life.
John, please stay safe and we’ll all recover from this, but in the meantime, just keep track of the rent you owe as in a few days it will be another $_______.
Think of yourself as my ventilator.
I have expenses, taxes and upkeep on the property that never stops, which makes rents our only ventilator so we can stay alive ourselves.
If things don’t improve, soon I’ll be gasping for air.
But most importantly, stay safe.