S.F. proposal would cancel rent for businesses shut in pandemic. Landlords won't be happy FacebookTwitterEmail Supervisor Dean Preston plans to introduce legislation Tuesday that would excuse them from paying rent when required to shut down under pandemic health orders.Marlena Sloss/Special to The Chronicle When COVID-19 closed the doors of Tracey Sylvester’s Pilates studio in the Mission last march, she burned through her business and personal savings to pay rent for four months. She then negotiated with her landlord to pay half rent. She got two rounds of federal relief and a loan she’ll be paying back for the next 30 years, but she still owes about $46,000 in back rent.