Gimme a break, Mr. Landlord

SURVEY | Some small property owners already have slashed rents 5 to 10 percent

Two-thirds of independent landlords will reduce rents to help tenants remain in their homes. And one-third of these landlords say they have lowered rents over the past 18 months, according to a new survey.

"Renters absolutely should approach their landlords if they need help making ends meet," said Tracey Benson, president of the National Association of Independent Landlords.

Of those landlords willing to negotiate, 61 percent said they would drop rents up to 5 percent. Another 29 percent said they would take off up to 10 percent.

"Often, if renters can't pay all of their rent, they don't pay anything at all -- hoping the problem will just go away. But that strategy of avoidance just compounds their troubles, hurts their credit rating and adds to their stress level," Benson said.

"Landlords today understand what's going on. They don't want an empty home any more than a renter wants to be asked to leave," she said.

For the informal online survey, 496 landlords across the country responded.

Bill Cunniff