Landlords urged to get ready for a rental rush

In this three-minute read, we look at the high levels of activity expected to return to the lettings market and the extra hygiene and social distancing measure we’re putting in place to keep everybody safe.

Last week letting agents were given the go-ahead to return to work as part of the Government’s strategy to ease the country out of lockdown gradually. While this is good news that doesn’t mean that it’s business as usual in the property market.

To borrow a line from the rock band The Pretenders “Some things change, some stay the same.”

In terms of what’s stayed the same, at Athelstans we’re as committed as ever to delivering the very best service to landlords and tenants and being open, professional, and transparent.

But in other ways, things have changed – a lot. We’ve reviewed all our processes so we can get back to doing what we do best in the face of Covid-19.

Personal Protective Equipment and social distancing – things we’d never even heard of at the start of the year – are now integral to what we do. And of course, we take our trusty hand sanitiser with us everywhere these days.

We’ve also pored over the Government’s advice for managing the lettings process. Here are the key points you, as a landlord, need to know.

• TENANTS & LANDLORDS - Initial viewings should be carried out virtually wherever possible.
• TENANTS - All physical viewings should be limited to members of the same household wherever possible.
• EVERYONE - When physically viewing properties, all parties should avoid touching surfaces, regularly wash hands and use hand sanitiser.
• TENANTS - The number of people on a viewing should be minimised to those from the same household that have to be there.
• EVERYONE - If people are being shown around a property, the landlord/letting agent should open all internal doors and ensure surfaces, such as door handles, are cleaned after each viewing with standard household cleaning products.
• EVERYONE - Anyone involved in any aspect of the home moving process should practice social distancing in line with public health advice.

These new guidelines are a lot for landlords to take on board alongside the existing rules and regulations on deposits, gas safety and inspections. But for as long as this pandemic lasts, they are crucial if we’re going to keep all parties safe.

On an upbeat note, we’re expecting a hectic few months as renters who have been unable to move during lockdown are now looking for a new place to live.

The lockdown left many people in a state of limbo, and as it eases, we anticipate a flurry of activity in the lettings market.

We live in interesting times, but here at Athelstans, we are determined to meet whatever challenges come our way with a positive and safety-first outlook. Thanks for reading.

To read the full document visit: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/government-advice-on-home-moving-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreak