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Nearly a third of US apartment renters didn’t pay ANY rent for April as coronavirus shutdown puts millions out of work and landlords fear they won’t be able to pay taxes and utilities

Originally published on Daily Mail.

Nearly a third of U.S. residential tenants did not make any rent payments in the first week of April, according to new industry data, while experts warn 1.5 million families could be pushed to the brink of homelessness by the coronavirus crisis.

By April 5, 31 percent of apartment households nationwide had not made any rental payments, according to data released by the National Multifamily Housing Council on Wednesday.

Some 40 million Americans live in rental apartments nationwide, and many of them are under the strict lockdown orders that have affected more than 90 percent of the U.S. population, shutting down businesses and putting millions out of work.

‘The COVID-19 outbreak has resulted in significant health and financial challenges for apartment residents and multifamily owners, operators and employees in communities across the country,’ said Doug Bibby, President of NMHC, in a statement.