According to an article posted the other day on the Los Angeles Fox 11 newsite at FoxLA.com, rents are already dropping in the Los Angeles region due to the effects of the Corona Virus or Covid-19. Over two weeks ago, shortly after the first stay at home order, I predicted that both rents and property values would be dropping very quickly.

The last line in their article is extremely telling:

“But for now, if your rent is not going down, you may want to talk to your landlord or look around for a better deal, because you may get it.”

Over 10 days ago, I wrote my first email asking a landlord for either a suspension of rent or a reduced rate. They came back with a “COVID-19 Hardship Consideration” form, which was obviously drawn up by the attorneys for the Southern California Rental Housing Association (and revised or drawn up, the same day 3/31/20).

This Covid-19 Hardship Consideration form, makes zero concessions except for considering to provide ‘accommodations’ for reduced rent until the eviction moratorium is lifted at which time the full amount of the rent would be due or the tenant would face eviction. They fail to recognize that due to the Stay at Home Order, many people have lost their entire incomes and in many cases, their jobs.

What landlords need to realize is that their properties are not worth the rental income they were getting even one month ago …

They are going to be finding very quickly that they will not be able to continue to charge rents like they were in 2019 and beyond. Rents will be dropping FAST and landlords should be contacting their lending institutions to get their payments deferred or contracts renegotiated. Some may choose to walk away. Many will be hearing from their tenants who will be choosing to do the same.

If you are a tenant or a landlord who needs help negotiating and coming up with creative, mutually beneficial ways to get through this crisis and stay in your home, please give me a call. I can – and want to, help.