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.

Yes she rents a shop space off me.
I wouldn't do it again unless dire circumstances I was just thinking this is month and maybe January and not for fresh just reduced.

Right now, if you offered me that, and you knew how hard I had tried to set up my business and how bloody broke I am, I would probably cry and be so grateful I would be the best damn tenant you ever had.
But only you can tell if she is a pisstaker or not. Me, you would get my undying loyalty and devotion. Yes, even tenants and landlords can have real human emotions.

Yes she has tried hard you see. She was also very patient when we started up, we had problems with solicitor etc my end and she'd was very nice about it all.
In years time I would expect her to have established business and reliable second to come in and work and keep her open.

I think reduced payment under the circumstances is a lovely gesture. You seem both to get on well together and establishing a good relationship with your tenant is essential.

How much eldon

Don't do this. You have a business arrangement and both signed a lease so she knows her financial obligations. If she's ill, but her grapes but don't mess Day the waters by offering her reductions.

I would suggest between 25% and 35% or what you can afford and as you rightly say this is a one off gesture. As an analogy, most people do get a bonus for Christmas (for example I give my window cleaners double payment at Christmas but it's a tenner instead of a fiver).

If you want to do it, get advice from your solicitor about how to word it so that it is a one off, never to be repeated, personal concession. Don't risk opening a can of worms!

Would you like to come and rent me a shop where I live? You sound amazing.

I think it's pragmatic too. She's been open a short while, building up clientele, surely giving her a small break helps to keep her in the shop long term which benefits using both rather than she builds up a debt and never gets ahead... Then folds.

Rebecca I think it would cost as much as a concession to get solicitor help.

Depends how well you know your solicitor. If you were my client and I'd acted on the lease, I'd give you a quick free phone call!

Otherwise try a landlord's website - lots of free advice on there

Well after alot of the trouble I found a brilliant solicitor who has now left

Good ideal about landlord place will try a more specific forum

Did she pay rent from month one? When I rented commercial premises through agencies, I negotiated at least a couple of rent free months. I don’t think it’s an end of the world thing if you can afford it. Start ups are tough and it may be better to lose that month rather than the hassle of replacing a tenant.

This is the one I had in mind, OP. Lots of property lawyers post on it.

www.landlordzone.co.uk

I really wouldn't- just send her flowers or something. You have a commercial arrangement

Although it's a lovely thought, you are making your business relationship into a personal one.

You would find it very difficult if she started to ask to pay rent late, skip a month etc.

It's far better to keep in businesslike and if you are also friends, perhaps to buy her a hamper or something nice for Christmas.

If she did that furthest down line I would have to start the process of eviction or whatever process you do when someone stops paying rent.

We are are

not
friends. But she was patient at the beginning. She only had two ish weeks rent free to get going

Is this a business you need to suceed or just something thats a bit of fun and some useful pocket money?

I dont mean to be harsh, because you really do sound a lovely person, but you will face similar dilemas time and time again, sometimes its tenants taking the p* but sometime it is genuine. But its almost impossible to know which is which. Do you give rent reductions, allow late payments, charge for all damage, pay for issues that really they should be paying for, allow them to leave a lease early etc etc.

I dont have time to decide which are telling the truth or space in my head for taking on my tenants problems as a 'friend', so I stick 100% to the letter of the law, whether that benefits me or them. And actually I think it benefits my tenants, theres no doubt about my actions, things are done properly, quickly, professionally.

Just be in touch, wish her a speedy recovery, day you hope it hadn’t put her in any difficulty with lost money & ask if she has insurance?

Then she’ll reply accordingly and you can take it from there if you feel a discount is appropriate.

Don’t offer upfront. Not a good precedent to set.

I agree sunny, it's just one tenant and I do need her to succeed for at least a year. I think its possible to offer one off reduction at hardest time of year for new business... And stress it's a one off.
If she asks me next year then after a
year I would consider her business to be failing and if she stopped paying rent I would start the eviction process however by then I would have a kitty built up, she has only been in a few months and I have had extra costs. If she went bust now I would be in trouble.

Anyway I have pretty much made up my mind to do it, it's just how much and how to word it.