Lessors urged to give rental discounts

BAGUIO CITY – The city council in a resolution has appealed to the real estate lessors in the city to revisit their lease agreements and consider giving rental discounts to their tenants who are still reeling from the effects of the ongoing global pandemic.

According to the resolution, some commercial lessors and boarding house owners have waived the rentals or given rental discounts during the quarantine period in consideration to the loss of income of tenants.

The city council enjoins the other lessors to follow suit.

The city council passed a similar resolution in June 2020 on behalf of renting students in the city. The council urged the owners of boarding houses, dorms, bed spaces, and apartments in the city to waive the rental payments if their tenants who are enrolled students did not use their rented spaces due to circumstances brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Just recently, Mayor Benjamin Magalong also appealed to real estate lessors and owners of boarding houses to provide rent relief to their tenants.

The Rental Holiday Ordinance of Baguio City (Ordinance 54-2020) required establishments used for commercial and industrial purposes that were ordered closed during ECQ and GCQ to waive the rentals of their tenants. The ordinance, however, did not not cover boarding houses, apartments, and other buildings/structures/rooms providing accommodations for extended periods of months or years. -Jordan G. Habbiling