Greenville property managers struggling to fill houses for next year

If you drive around what ECU students refer to as the grid, you will notice plenty of for rent signs.

With ECU students being online for the remainder of the semester, some landlords here in the east are struggling to fill all of their houses they have for rent for next year.

Melissa Tilly is the owner of Tilly properties and says, “I’ve got about 25% still to rent, but there’s no inquiries, there’s no one to show properties to in town.”

Tilley says normally 100% of the properties she manages would be filled by the start of April, but this April it’s different.

Steve Evans is the owner of Evans properties and says, “We have some people here now saying they don’t want to sign a lease they don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Evans said they are now having discussions with property owners and possible tenants about contingency basis. “Meaning that if the school opens back up and they need a unit to live in the unit will be held for them under the condition that the school will open up."

But Tilley said even if one of those houses is empty next year it will have a huge impact.

Tilley says, “Missing the rent on one of my houses that I own could be the difference between paying my bills."