Unlocking Property Management
The great property freeze has lifted, with estate agents now allowed to open back up and property moves given the green light again. But as one of the first industries to reopen, how should letting agents prepare for the next phase of their COVID-19 response?
Staff
The first question many agents will be dealing with is how to unfurlough furloughed staff. There are no hard and fast rules. As agents navigate the new situation, it may be worth considering:
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The different skill-sets of your staff – which parts of your operation are on the front line may determine which of your staff should be brought back first.
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Some agents may choose to operate a ‘first-out-first-in’ policy and bringing back those members of staff that have been on furlough the longest.
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Assessing which of your staff may have children at home with nobody to care for them while schools are closed or those that may be more vulnerable make provisions for remote working where possible.(pregnant women or those with health concerns for example).
Property Inspections - Minimising the Risk when Working in Other People's Homes
On the 10th May 2020, the Government announced that the Housing Market could “go back to work”. The announcement made late on that Monday evening took many people who work as Letting Agents, Estate Agents, Conveyancers, Builders, Developers, Surveyors, Contractors and Engineers by surprise not the last because there was no warning and no prep-time. The next day guidance was published (amended on May 29th) to provide practical advice on how to re-open offices safely. It has taken time, but fast-forward three weeks and many letting agents have taken a “phased approach”to ensure that the necessary protocols have been put in place to minimise risk in relation to Covid-19.
Along with the guidance for offices and call centres, the Government produced a guide for those who have to carry out work in other people’s homes. This applies to many practitioners who work in housing who carry out a range of activities that include valuations, viewings, inventories, check-ins and check outs, along with Interim Property Inspections. As letting agents move back into the office environment many of the “tasks” which were performed day to day away from the office are now being re-introduced.
Government suspension on Housing Possessions extended by 2 months
Millions of renters across England and Wales will receive greater protection after the government extended the suspension of new evictions until 23 August.
The extension announced by the Housing Secretary yesterday takes the moratorium on evictions to a total of five months to ensure that renters continue to have certainty and security.
Ministers are also working with the judiciary, legal representatives and the advice sector on arrangements, including new rules, which will mean that courts are better able to address the need for appropriate protection of all parties, including those shielding from coronavirus. This is to ensure that judges have all the information necessary to make just decisions and that the most vulnerable tenants can get the help they need.
Tenant Fee Ban Transitionary Period to End
It seems as though only yesterday letting agents in England were preparing for the abolition of tenant fees. Fast forward 12 months and from the 1st June 2020 the “transitionary period” will have come to an end. This means any fee that was taken in advance on a pre-existing tenancy (pre-1st June 2019) or within a renewal, will be deemed a "Prohibited Payment". This includes but is not limited to check-out fees which had been taken in advance at the beginning of a tenancy.