Coronavirus means Pubs, Restaurants and Leisure Tenants need a Rent Freeze. Can Landlords Afford to Help them Out?
Last weekend, Anthony Lorenz’s phone was ringing off the hook. Client after client was calling the London-based veteran tenant rep advisor, all with the same problem. Revenue had fallen off a cliff, cash flow was tight and on 25 March the quarterly rent was falling due.
“I had clients I hadn’t spoken to for two years, ringing out of the blue, asking for help talking to their landlord,” the managing director of The Lorenz Consultancy said. “We act for some of the biggest clubs, bars and restaurants in the West End. Our clients were telling us takings from the weekend were at least 70% down, often as much as 90%. One club told us that instead of taking £130K over the weekend they had taken £14K. If landlords don’t help out, the leisure industry in the West End will collapse.”
