Reduce the spread:

OK firstly, the basics…helping your tenants to stay COVID free. As you’ll all probably know new measures are now being enforced to limit the movement of the UK populous. Leaving the home is now something only allowed for a number of limited reasons such as purchasing essential food stocks or exercising/walking in either a singular capacity or with members of your household.

Why not consider sending all of your tenants a round robin email reminding them of your policies and guidelines should one of them experience symptoms. Remind them to self isolate and anyone they live with for 14 days from the onset of any symptom experienced. Remind tenants living in shared households required to self isolate, but not exhibiting symptoms, that two meter social distancing from all other housemates must be practised along with regular hand washing and sanitising communal surfaces. For more detailed take a look at official government guidelines for self isolating tenants here.

Property visits

 Any visits to a property should be delayed for the time being. If a trade person of some kind is due to carry out work at the property due to a legal obligation (such as a Gas Safety Check) the tenant in question must self isolate during the length of the visit and any individuals carrying work out in the property does so observing social distancing guidelines and wear face masks. If a tenant is in the middle of a self isolation phase due to experiencing symptoms all visits to the property must be cancelled and documented. For any further advice you can call the Residential Landlord Association on 03330 142 998. It’s also advisable to inform the local authority housing team that you are unable to complete the inspection at this time.

Make sure hygiene levels of the household are good and that there is plenty of alcohol based sanitiser or bars of soap readily available. If your properties are managed consider asking your management partner them about any contingency policies currently in force.

If and when a tenant returns to a property from a period of absence, try to ascertain as much information as possible, including any known symptoms being experienced, contact with individuals carrying the virus and if they have visited any areas of the UK within the last 3 months known to be COVID trouble spots. To find out how many confirmed cases of COVID-19 there are in any given area of the UK click here.

Vulnerable Tenants

Make it clear from the outset that any tenant you deem to be vulnerable is in no doubt about your policy towards their rent being secure. Inform them of your intention to abide with the new eviction legislation and that they are classed as a priority tenant. Do what you can to comfort them and create a sense of security. Provide them with your contact details and endeavour to answer any questions they may have at any time of the day. Consider being as flexible as you can with your hours of access for vulnerable tenants. Endeavour to work with relatives, friends or support workers to make sure every avenue of support required is in place. Try to ensure things such as food deliveries or medical supplies have been organised with the relevant parties. Consider posting copies of Coronavirus safety guidelines to all of your properties (especially to those housing vulnerable tenants). Printable versions of these guidelines can be found on both the HMOand NHS websites.

Be in the know

 Every Landlord should make themselves fully acquainted with the official information, official government guidelines and NHS guidance for any queries you may have. As the crisis continues please expect this information to change.

The Coronavirus Bill 2020

 The current government have fast tracked an emergency bill through Parliament called the ‘Coronavirus Bill’ in order to respond to the current crisis. Every landlord must understand this bill back to front as it will mean temporary changes to aspects of the private rental sector and how it operates.

 This bill enacts a number of measures to help renters avoid becoming homeless or getting entwined in legal enforcement if unable to pay their rent on time. These measures cover such things as:

  - Extending the period of notice required by law for all cases of repossession

  - Broadening the pre-action protocols for social landlords to include private sector landlords

 - A mortgage holiday offered to all private landlords from the respective buy-to-let lenders whose tenants have in some way been impacted by the Coronavirus. This payment holiday is offered on the basis the respective landlords will be offering the same period of grace to the tenants concerned.

Both the National Landlords Association and the Residential Landlord Association, are currently petitioning government to implement an number of modifications to current legislation, those being; to scrap on a temporary basis the five-week cue for the payment of Universal Credit to help close income gaps, to do away with upcoming legislation intending to restrict Mortgage Interest Relief (due for this coming April) and to continue lobbying mortgage lenders and government for mortgage holidays for all current landlords.

Marketing your property

Even during a pandemic we’ve still got to keep the lights on, right? Well being a landlord is no different to any other business, but as we all know face to face meet ups are for the time being off the cards. This will mean relying more heavily on your online presence than you did before. Firstly consider adding more useful information and imagery to online portals for any given property. Also consider informing all your current clients via your website and social media channels that whilst face to face viewings are currently restricted your hours of public access via phone and email are extended to answer any enquiries.

Endeavour to keep all your clients in the know regarding the current crisis and how your business will be operating. Consider using free services like Mail Chimp for regular newsletter updates and answer any facebook replies or comments as soon as you can. Keep your client rosta constantly informed and always be free to talk.

Keep everything documented

Has a tenant advise you they are experiencing symptoms and have decided to self isolate? Document it! Are there planned inspections or maintenance issues that can not be attended to due to contractors being unavailable? Document it! Have tenants left you notes on bits of paper informing you they don’t want to live in the property for the foreseeable future and refuse to pay rent? Document it!

Remember, there are many tenants not completely au fait with current isolation and distancing guidelines, or contractual obligations with a property for that matter. There’s every chance at some point more than one tenant will try to pull a fast one. However, If they can pay rent, by law they have to, so any attempt to skimp on rental payments needs to be met with a full understanding of their current contract, the current guidelines about non-evictions and documenting every single piece of correspondence you can.

If you need some further advice about navigating the current crisis as a Landlord feel free to call Arch Living on 0116 270 6699. We are a locally based estate agent in Leicester with years of experience, so don’t hesitate to reach out.