LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — On the first of the month, collecting rent is a top priority for landlords and property managers. But on this April 1, Jillian Kemmerer is calling her tenants just to check in on them.
"'What if I lose my job, how do we handle this?' Our job as property managers is to let our tenants know; we are on your side. We are going to work with you," Kemmerer said.
Kemmerer is a realtor with Dwell Real Estate and a property manager with Cityline Property Management in Dunmore. She manages more than 100 properties in the Scranton area. And she says concerns from tenants about being able to pay this month's rent have been coming up for weeks.
"They don't want to be evicted, so that was kind of just letting them know, no one wants to evict you."
Attorney General Josh Shapiro sent a letter to landlords earlier in the week, reminding them that with millions of Pennsylvanians following Governor Wolf's direction to stay home, it is critical that rental evictions cease for the duration of this emergency.
"I think there is a lot of relief. I think they're worried. Our tenants don't not want to pay. Everyone wants to pay their rent. We never ever want to tell people that your rent is due, so go out and do a dangerous job or do something you're not supposed to do," Kemmerer said.
The Attorney General says when the state of emergency is lifted, it will take time for businesses to reopen and for the economy to recover, and his letter urges landlords to give affected tenants time to get back on their feet.
"The government has passed this stimulus plan that hopefully will help us bridge that gap between staying home and making your bills. We're really hoping everything works itself out, and we're going to be there to iron out the bumps in the road," Kemmerer said.
If you believe you have been wrongfully evicted, you can file a complaint with the office of the Attorney General.