The Age of Contagion and its Impact on Climate Change
The world was coming to terms with Climate Change. Some were believers, others were sceptics, but the balance, with some notable exceptions had shifted in favour of the view that the human race was a catalyst in the deterioration of the global environment. The science was becoming clear and beginning to win the day. COP21, The Paris Agreement, had set wheels in motion that would see Nations setting goals to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. These were to be further refined at COP26 in Glasgow in November 2020.
What have the last 5 weeks taught Us?
When there’s not a lot to do, apart from rest (talking about myself), the mind goes into overdrive and Covid-19 has given us a huge amount to think about. When the good times are in abundance, no one really gives it a second thought but it’s crisis, tragedy, anguish, pain that truly bring us together. We have nothing to compare this situation, all we can do is refer back to historical events. I read somewhere at the beginning of the pandemic that the virus does not discriminate. However, bear in mind that not everyone is in a position of privilege, and some have been more affected than others.
Right to Rent - The Secretary of State for the Home Department -v- The Joint Council for The Welfare of Immigrants
April 21st, the Government won its appeal against appeal the removal of Right to Rent, which means the scheme will stay in place. Appeal Court Justices Davis, Henderson and Hickinbottom agreed that the scheme was discriminatory, but found that it did not violate human rights legislation. The Court of Appeal therefore, ruled in favour of the government’s controversial Right To Rent scheme, overturning a decision reached last year by the High Court.
In a New Era of Communication - Remember Your Landlords & Tenants
Populations across the world are adjusting to COVID-19, and with social distancing orders in place, finding new ways to communicate not only for businesses, but with family and friends, is paramount. The cultural shift has shown just how many letting agents are now using video conferencing software for the very first time.
As meetings, webinars, training take place in the new place of work, contact with the landlord and tenants remains incredibly important. The landlord needs to have an understanding of the work that is being done during this very difficult time. Whilst offices may be closed, the work still carries on. from collecting rents, liaising with tenants about “rent holidays” or discounted payments, preparing relevant paperwork to address the changes to contracts, navigating repairs and ensuring that any Statutory responsibilities are still dealt with. The workload for letting agents may have significantly increased as dealing with Covid-19 has meant a great deal of change in such a short period of time that no one has ever experienced before. What should letting agents be telling landlords and tenants?