Prime Minister Hun Sen called on landlords to be sympathetic to tenants who are late or unable to pay their rent due to lockdown restrictions retained in high-risk zones.

In an audio message on the morning of May 8, Hun Sen said some landlords had reportedly forced their tenants to pay rent.

“There are still some landlords causing this problem, and it requires an intervention. I beg all landlords to delay collecting rent from workers if they have not received their wages".

He urged all landlords to lower room rates to some extent or not collect it for one to three months.

“I know some landlords have taken out loans from the bank to build their rental rooms, so you [landlords] must also be facing hardship. You [and the bank] are also debtor and creditor. But I hope that you all understand the common hardship we are all facing,” he said.

The prime minister also called on the Phnom Penh Water Supply Authority and Electricite du Cambodge to not charge workers for utilities.