Coronavirus: Landlords and tenants association in Kenya orders all tenants to stop paying rent

The Landlords and Tenants Association (LATAK) in Kenya has directed all tenants to stop paying their rents until further notice due to the impact of Coronavirus pandemic.

The announcement was made during a recent press conference where the association's Secretary-General Ben Liyai revealed that they had already spoken to its members over the issue as he argued that businesses had stopped and the economy was depreciating because of the Coronavirus outbreak.

According to the association, tenants should not expect any form of harrassments from their landlords because of rent payment as they have spoken to landlords across the country to offer their tenants rent waivers for the months of April, May, and June.

‘‘LATAK directs all tenants not to pay rent until when President Uhuru Kenyatta orders businesses to resume normal operations," said Liyai.

"All the landlords must forthwith stop evictions, harassment and disconnection of electricity and water to tenants,’’ he added.

The association also asked landlords having challenges in complying with the directives to seek advice from it by texting the word Tenant or Landlord to 20777 so it can pick up the matter.