To offer my shop tenant a reduced rent this month as she has been ill and how much

[ItsBeginingToLookAlotLikeChris]

I'm new to this as she is. Been in business a few months, beautician and she is ill in hospital.
I'm wondering about offering her a reduced rent but not sure how much, she pay 700a month and if it's a good idea.
I'd like to as a gesture of good will. However having a house lodger once who stopped paying rent and had loads of concessions I'm also aware of people taking the piss.

Did you ask about this yesterday, why ask again?

I wouldn't, no. Unless you're a landlord for fun and not business.

It seems like a lovely idea, but to be honest I'm not sure if you are setting yourself up to be taken advantage of if you do this,

Personally, I would be taking into account how much of the month she's been able to work and deducting that way, but in all honesty, doing it that way will mean that if she goes on holiday for two weeks that she may expect a 2 week discount, if her kid is off school sick, she may expect a discount for that day.

You are lovely for thinking about this though.

It's a lovely thought but DO NOT DO THIS!!

You will be setting yourself up for having to agree reduced rent time and time again, if the tenant is ill, if business in her shop is bad, if the weather is bad etc etc...

I really wouldn't. Can you afford a reduction every time she's had time off? I think you're setting yourself up for a lot of future sob stories if you do this.

To be honest OP, she should have money set aside for eventualities like this.
Most businesses tend to have a float, which should cover this, and decent insurance which will also reimburse her- just had a double check of our business insurance, theyd definitely pay the business bills and our wages if we were in hospital Ill.

And like I said, most businesses have money sat in the account for emergencies

Don’t offer but if she asks for an arrangement then you could do it as a gesture of good will. I would think in terms that she pays you back interest free over a period of time.

Don't reduce the rent. If you want to help her post some cash in an envelope anonymously through her door.

I wouldn't do it.

You could always let her pay some of the rent back in instalments.

To be honest OP, she should have money set aside for eventualities like this.
Most businesses tend to have a float, which should cover this, and decent insurance which will also reimburse her- just had a double check of our business insurance, theyd definitely pay the business bills and our wages if we were in hospital Ill.

She's a self employed beautician that's been doing it a few months. How realistic is it that she has a large float of money put aside? Where would she have gotten such a float. Also my dh insurance costs £100 per month. Maybe she can't afford anything similar and naively thought she wouldn't ever get ill.

Nice thought but a cash gift would be much better - rent is a long standing agreement, so if you want to help her out financially it's a no strings attached way of doing so. Why not pop it in a Christmas envelope and it will seem like less of a handout.

She should have business interruption insurance, OP - she could claim on that.

If you really want to do it, make sure you document it properly. You don't want to vary the lease inadvertently. But I wouldn't recommend it; I think with the best of intentions, you'd set a bit of a precedent. And in my job as a lawyer, you'd be amazed how many formerly lovely people turn around and take the piss!

If you're concerned post some cash anonymously through the door, I've done this for employees in the past when they have been going through separations etc and I found it was better and less awkward to help in this way rather than introduce an issue into the business side of things.

My dad does this for his tennant. She has a week off every xmas. Maybe we have been lucky, but she is a great tennant who we have had for many years, but on paper most wouldn't touch her with a bargepole (single mum,no guarantor etc).

Some of interesting replies.
If I did it I would stipulate its a one off and I would expect as the business grows and she finds someone towards cover her I wouldn't do it again and for proper insurance to be in place.
I don't have any cash to post through the door and don't live near by.
I was also thinking of direct debit could she change it once anyway, and tax return etc.

Suffolk thinking longer term I would rather I keep her in than go through the rigmarole of getting a new person in. January is also a good tough month isn't it.

@nutcerk you mean sort of pay her the money back.
The thing is even if I could do it that she may say she can't pay the rent and take the money.

If I did it I would stipulate its a one off and I would expect as the business grows and she finds someone towards cover her I wouldn't do it again and for proper insurance to be in place.

It's really not your place to lecture her about insurance (which she might actually have if she hasn't asked for a discount).

If you don't have any cash you could always wait til she pays it then post some through her door the following day.

I mean I would make it clear it's a one off.
Tricky.
On the other hand it is my business if she doesn't pay her rent or falls behind.
Ideally I would want to offer this but I think I will wait until, if she asks.
I don't understand the cash part, how that would work.
It was a just a gesture to help her through a difficult month and the next difficult month to help keep her in there and afloat.
But I am well aware of people taking the piss as well. Arghhhhhhh.

Kaytee87- Setting up a business where she rents a shop, I would expect her to have a few months expenses sat aside. It's what businesses do. its not rocket science to know that being self employed there will be times that are busier, and times which are not. Money needs to be sat aside to weather these kind of storms.
Yes I know the cost of decent insurance as ours is £90 a month, but as I said, does cover these types of eventuality.
It's not unreasonable to expect that someone who's agreed a tenancy for her business would have prepared better to ensure that she has somewhere to operate from if the worst should happen.
Quite foolhardy not to as a self employed person.

I agree hungry. But as she is new to me this I would accept or offer less rent so she can keep going and get this in place. She has only been open a few months and has had issues with getting second staff member in

@hungryhippo90 I assumed that the beautician was living in ops rented property, not that it was a shop. Maybe I've read it wrongly.

@hungryhippo90 I do agree with you but I know plenty of self employed beauticians, hairdressers and others that set up without that kind of prep and just rent a chair somewhere or are mobile.

Don't do it you are mixing business and personal whilst it a nice tests it muddies the relationship.

Don't do it ffs. If you want to make money then you have to act like a business. If you are just doing this for fun then let her stay there for free.

It really is lovely of you to worry about her potential hardship, but you dont know if she is in difficulties and this isnt a personal relationship with a friend - this is your business and that is her business. She may not thank you for offering her money or getting involved.

IF she comes to you with difficulty paying the rent, then you can discuss reduced payments or a payment plan etc. Dont involve yourself until then. Taking this business only view is a decision worth making now as you will find yourself in similar situations as time goes on and as well as damaging your business, it will stress you out.

(If youre wealthy then the above suggestion of doing it anonymously is good)