MUMBAI :
The Maharashtra government has instructed landlords not to evict their tenants for their inability to pay rent due to COVID-19 lockdown. All offices, business establishments are closed due to the Coronavirus outbreak.
Issuing an order in this regard last evening, Additional Chief Secretary (Housing) Sanjay Kumar said, ‘All economic activities are closed due to the lockdown till May 3. People have no means of earning. Hence, they are not able to pay rent on time.
They are already facing COVID-19 pandemic and hence they should not be burdened financially. Therefore, all house owners in Maharashtra are ordered to postpone rent collection for three months. During this period, no tenant should be evicted from the rented house due to non-payment of rent”, states the order.
Many people, especially students, have been complaining that their landlords (house owners) are threatening to throw them out of homes if rent is not paid on time. They had appealed to the district collector as well as state government. Now, the rent postponement order has come as a breather to them.
