Amid lockdown, landlord exempts rent for March

Kolkata: Acting as a good samaritan, a landlord from Central Kolkata area has exempted rent of his tenants due to the ongoing lockdown in the wake of Coronavirus.

"All the tenants in my building are daily wage earners. Most of them are labourers. Looking at their economic condition and the ongoing lockdown in the country to prevent the spread of COVID- 19, I decided not to take rent for the month of March from the tenants," said Md Imran, landlord of Ladli Manzil, a two-storied building situated at Collin Street.

In a bid to make the tenants aware about the one-month exemption, a notice was put up at the building premises on March 27, two days after the nationwide lockdown was imposed in the country.

"My dear tenants, kindly do not pay the rent for March as I know these days are very crucial for each and everyone of you. So stay safe and healthy," pointed out a notice issued by the landlord.

Ladli Manzil has 17 rooms for tenants. Depending upon the size of rooms, the rent varies between Rs 300 and Rs 350 per month. "I am not a rich person. I have inherited the Ladli Manzil from my mother. And my mother inherited it from my maternal grandfather. The main objective of exempting the rent is to ensure that my tenants get some relief at this time of economic crisis due to the lockdown," pointed out Imran.

Urging other landlords in his locality and the city, Imran said: "We should unite together at this time of crisis. I request other landlords to exempt one month rent of their tenants. If the lockdown continues even after April 15, then I will also exempt the rent for April."