Of landlords and tenants: Property in the midst of a pandemic

The coronavirus epidemic has caused global ruin, with no country spared. The grim statistics show that in the United Kingdom alone, some 4.4 million people have been infected by the virus, leaving more than 150,000 dead. Lockdowns in countries, cities, and villages have left many businesses in despair. In response to the outbreak, governments have been working round the clock devising policies and enacting laws to stem the human and economic devastation caused by the virus. When faced with such a catastrophe, it would appear that the government may be unquestionably justified to enact emergency legislation. The government has a long history in enacting laws deviating from ‘normal’ private law principles in exigencies, and the current pandemic is the most recent event where such emergency laws have been adopted providing the context of this paper’s schema. The paper considers one aspect of government response to the coronavirus: the protection of business tenancies in the United Kingdom.