Two Weeks - What have Letting Agents been dealing with?

With the announcement that the housing/property sector in England was “re-opening”, there has been a flurry of activity within the Lettings Industry. Yet, it is clear through discussions with letting agents across the country that not all agents have opened their doors. The approach on the whole tends to be a “phased” strategy, given that there is so much to consider.

1. Covid-19 Protocols - Letting Agents are without a doubt used to health & safety being part of their working day, but this is on a completely different level. a Employees - Who will return to the office environment, how, when and why?

2. Social Distancing - The two metre rule plays a big part in minimising risk both within the office environment and during work related activities away from the office. Many letting agents are carrying out viewings solely on empty properties and rely on virtual viewings.

3. Ensuring risk assessments are carried out and protocols are put in place. As other businesses prepare to Open in 3 weeks time, the message from the Government is to ensure that the prevention of the spread of the Virus is paramount.

4. Process and Systems - The new way of working will mean what were “normal” processes must now adhere to Government guidelines which adduce landlords on how to manage office visits, viewings, and check-ins during this time.

5. Managing the Day-to-Day - Although letting agents & property managers were working from home, the day to day running of the business continued, in most cases with a reduced team. The day-to-day still still carries on - changes in legislation have to be implemented, existing Statutory requirements have to be overseen to ensure their landlords are compliant, maintenance & repairs must be dealt with, rents need to be collected, arrears need to be considered and landlords communicated with.

6. Staying up to Date with Government Announcements - Everyday changes are published by the Government - yesterday no less than 10 obligations were released relating to the long term implications of Coronavirus. These changes are pivotal to everyone’ daily lives - ranging from clarification on how to work from one’s business safely to the staggered re-opening of schools.

   The timeline for retail outlets to open is of paramount importance as the high street is given the opportunity to prepare for getting back to work.

We have put together a bundle of resources which relate to Post-Lockdown Covid-19 Protocols. These can be downloaded for free from our website.