During the COVID emergency, I had a call from a client regarding a residential lease matter.
He was panicking:
- he and his wife are renting;
- they have 2 very young kids;
- he is being sent overseas for work, with the requisite permits;
- while he is away, his lease will terminate;
- the managing agent was not giving him a straight answer as to whether or not the landlord would allow a renewal of the lease; and
- the rental market is very tight.
Residential leases are not our forte, but knowing where to look, I was able to ring him back in 3 minutes and 7 seconds to calm him down, with the news, that, due to the COVID-19 rules and regulations, the lease cannot be terminated except by consent, until 28 March 2021, and nor can the rent be increased. I then sent a confirmation e-mail with a link to a helpful webpage and for good measure, a copy of the Residential Tenancy (COVID-19 Response) Act 2020!
So while we may not know all the answers, we certainly know how to find them!
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