Sheffield council to suspend rent for non-residential tenants

Sheffield City Council has announced that they will suspend rent arrears enforcement for all non-residential tenants for three months in order to help voluntary groups and small businesses to cope financially during the pandemic. 

Voluntary and community groups with leases, tenancies or licences will have their rent and licence fees suspended until June 30 and the council has said they will defend any licence fees for agreements that cannot be fulfiled.

For tenants of commercial retail, food, drink and leisure premises, rents and service charges will also be deferred until June 30. The council will consider each application and look at whether the deferred rent could be paid over a period of time.

The Council has said they will assess each application on an individual basis, taking into account the type of business and its circumstances, such as whether it has been told to close by the Government or if it is affected by any general restrictions.

Cllr Terry Fox, deputy leader and cabinet member for finance at Sheffield City Council, said: ‘This is a difficult and uncertain time for many people in Sheffield and it’s important that everyone’s focus during this time is on staying well, not worrying about paying the rent on their business premises.

‘We want to support all of our tenants as much as we can and therefore will not penalise anyone who is unable to make payments over the next few months.

‘If you have any questions about your rent payments or premises please do get in touch with us, as we do not want anyone to struggle or worry unnecessarily.’

In related news, Leeds City Council has called for an army of 500 business mentors to come forward and help local entrepreneurs deal with the impact of the coronavirus.

According to the local authority, the mentors could be recently retired or still working, but able to spare 45 minutes a week for online support, free of charge, for three months.

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