Ireland’s strained relationship with landlords is centuries old. The Covid-19 crisis is creating the latest battleground as beleaguered SMEs struggle to pay rents amidst a collapse in revenues. Currently, commercial real estate (CRE) owners have no legal obligation to support the national effort. Many business sectors are suffering substantial losses at an enormous financial cost to workers, entrepreneurs and taxpayers. Some will not survive. If too many landlords do not share in this burden, but insist on getting paid in full while others take cuts, it will be a source of enormous national frustration. This scenario is bad for everyone,…