A campaign has been launched on behalf of the hospitality sector calling for a 3-month extension to the government’s eviction moratorium which is due to expire on 31st of March.
The campaign #GiveHospitalityABreak is also urging the government to introduce a two-year period for businesses to pay back half the rents owed, saying that this would be a “mandated starting point” for reasonable negotiations between tenants and landlords, and would avoid mass liquidations, bankruptcies and winding up orders which predicts will be the case after March 31st if no further relief is provided.
The campaign points to the UK hospitality sector’s turnover falling by £72 billion last year, equivalent to nearly £200m a day in lost sales for businesses, and states that operators would not have survived without the rent moratorium.
Adding that having not traded for almost a year, many will now fail if they have to pay back even half the rent they owe, when the moratorium is lifted.
Campaign founder Tony Lorenz said “ With no word from the government thus far, clarity is urgently needed to avoid bankruptcies, and a follow-on mass unemployment in the sector. That too would have a knock-on effect on impacts on the tourism and travel industries, crucial parts of the U.K.’s domestic offering.”
Therefore the campaign is calling on the government to #givehospitalityabreak, and extend the moratorium, by three months, give businesses up to two year years to pay off half the rent they owe, which they say will keep the hospitality sector, already on its knees, from collapsing completely.
To sign the petition visit https://www.change.org/o/givehospitalityabreak
