ROCHESTER, Minn- Nine months into the pandemic and it is still posing challenges for landlords as they are still not receiving rent from tenants. According to Nick Stageberg, a real estate agent and property manager, people that live in certain apartments are less likely able to pay their rent than those renting single family homes because of their jobs.

Many people living in lower income or less luxuirous apartments, have service jobs like bartending, waiting tables, and working hotels, forcing them to now go on unemployment compared to people who work in healthcare, finance, and tech, that are likely not on uemployment. Stageberg is one of many landlords impacted by this issue.

"We recently acquired property that had a tennant in place for all of 2020, that has basically not made any rent payments," said Stageberg. "They had twenty four thousand dollars in unpaid rent, at the time of us acquiring that property a few weeks ago. It's a big hole alot of tennants are going to struggle to get out of."

When tenants don't pay their rent, landords are left in a difficult situation such as defaulting their mortgage. Stageberg predicts this issue will only get worst before it gets better.

"There's going to continue to be an eviction moratorium in place and some challneges with renters being able to pay rent," explained Stageberg.

Although landlords are struggling now, the real estate agent and property owner predicts the housing market in 2021, will be strong for people who own and occupy their own homes.