The Restaurants Association of Ireland (RAI) has called on the government to introduce an arbitration service to help restaurants and hospitality businesses resolve disputes with commercial landlords who are continuing to charge their tenant businesses full rent rates during the coronavirus pandemic.
"Huge Distress"
RAI CEO Adrian Cummins stated, "We are calling on the government to issue a code of practice and introduce a 'fast track' arbitration service to help with a speedy resolution of disputes between restaurants/hospitality businesses and landlords. It's obvious that greedy landlords are not playing their part in the pandemic, which is causing huge distress for business owners, especially restaurant owners."
Placing Hundreds Of Businesses And Thousands Of Jobs At Risk
The RAI said that high rents are placing hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs across the island of Ireland at risk, and that landlords need to reduce their commercial rents in line with business turnover to support struggling restaurants and cafés.
"Demanding Urgent Action"
Cummins added, "Some commercial landlords seem to be oblivious to fact that Ireland is in an economic crisis. We are demanding urgent action from the government. Businesses are struggling, and some cannot hold on much longer. These businesses are the mainstay of our communities, and people's livelihoods. Why should they be driven out of business while commercial landlords continue to flourish and collect their full rents? All we are asking is that landlords take into consideration the loss of turnover experienced by many businesses over the past few months and adjust the rents accordingly."
© 2020 Hospitality Ireland – your source for the latest industry news. Article by Dave Simpson. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.
