April a telling month for commercial landlords, tenants

In March, the COVID-19 pandemic forced large chunks of the U.S. economy to a halt.

The retail and personal services industry bore the brunt, initially as a result of social distancing and reduced foot traffic, then ultimately by mandated store closings, reducing operating hours and the size of public gatherings.

When the calendar turned to April, however, there remained one constant of doing business for most retail tenants: Rent was due whether circumstances halted income or not. And it’s billions of dollars at play. CoStar Group, which tracks commercial real estate information, estimates U.S. landlords collect between $15 billion and $20 billion from commercial tenants in a typical month...
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RSK: Again, it is pretty out there. Landlords and tenants must keep the line of communications open and be realistic...can they come back after this is over? Pouring good sand down a hole may not be the best choice.