We appreciate that the current measures will make it more difficult to manage your property.

The government has issued two very helpful pieces of guidance with respect to renting during COVID-19 (Opens a new window) & working in other people's homes during COVID-19 (Opens a new window), we recommend you familiarise yourself with them. 

There are some practical steps you can take to allow you to manage your business during the crisis:

• Follow the decontamination advice (Opens a new window) if a tenant moves out.
• Send your tenants a copy of this poster (Opens a new window) which covers how to limit spread within the home. 
• Avoid pre-planned property inspections unless there is a justifiable health and safety reason to go ahead. use the template letters DASH has provided to communicate with your tenants during this time.
• If you are aware of a repair which needs doing but the tenant is unable to permit access due to self-isolation, ask them to document this in a text or an email. Work should not be carried out in properties where the tenant is self isolating or shielding (tenants who are more vulnerable to the infection due to their medical condition) unless there is a serious and direct threat to tenant safety.  (Opens a new window)
• Following the relaxation of measures on 13th May, letting agents can open their offices and tenants are free to visit. Viewings are now permitted although you should limit the number of people present by suggesting that only one prospective tenant is present during a viewing. Be mindful that the current occupier may not wish to have people enter their home and that is still their right (nobody can enter if the household is in isolation or shieldling). Videos can be useful as opposed to physical viewings for advertising purposes. Please read and implement the government's guidance for people working in, visiting or delivering to other people's homes. 

Good communication & recording keeping are vital especially during this difficult time.