Blog
Information for Landlords:
Friday, May 22, 2020
Whilst recent updates have made it possible for property rentals to take place again, you may be unsure about letting your property and the new procedures involved. The following information is designed to help you to understand what is required in the current scenario.
If you are in a designated vulnerable category for health reasons or are shielding/self-isolating, please seek additional medical advice on what is best for you during this period. If you are an independent landlord, for example, you may be considering the option of a fully managed let through an ARLA agent you can trust to look after your property and your tenants, and take the weight off your shoulders.
Initial Market Appraisal and Subsequent Viewings Market appraisals and viewings can now take place but for your safety, as well as that of everyone else, there will be significant changes to the way in which we conduct these, in accordance with government guidelines as outlined below.
For the initial appraisal meeting, we will look around the property thoroughly to give you an accurate market appraisal but the actual conversation about price, your requirements, etc will take place via telephone/video call when we return to the office. This will enable a full discussion to take place, where we will be able to tell you about our unrivalled marketing campaign and answer any questions you may have about the letting of your property. For your safety, the guidelines for viewings (below) will apply when we visit your property.
Should you instruct The Frost Partnership to let your property, we will prepare a video tour and encourage all viewers to watch the video tour before visiting your property, to minimise unnecessary visits. We will also insist that they follow the new viewing protocols explained below. We will ask all viewers if they (or anyone they live with); are currently suffering from Covid 19, are showing any symptoms of Covid 19, have been in contact with anyone in the last 14 days who has been ill with Covid 19 or has shown any symptoms of Covid 19, are self-isolating or “shielding”. We ask the same questions above of you/your existing tenants (if your property is occupied) and require all parties to inform us as soon as possible if this information changes at any stage.
Before every viewing we ask for your property to be cleaned, paying particular attention to door handles, light switches and other “touch points”. We will ask all viewers not to touch door handles, light switches, etc. and to help us to avoid touching anything, your property should be prepared before each viewing. All internal and external doors should be open, any relevant lights on and (where possible) leave some windows open.
When we arrive, you/your tenants should ideally vacate the property by going for a walk, sitting in the garden/car etc. If this is not possible then social distancing must be observed at all times. Pets should either remain outside the property during viewings or, if indoors, they must be contained/caged.
Our staff will be wearing PPE and will sanitise hands/gloves before the viewing in order to protect themselves, to protect you/your tenants and the viewer. All viewers will be asked to wear a mask and to clean/sanitise their hands outside the property before the viewing commences; a viewing will not take place otherwise.
Viewings will be kept to no longer than 15 -20 minutes; we will explain to the viewers that conversations are best had outside the property where social distancing can be observed, or preferably via a telephone/video call once we are back in the office.
A maximum of 2 people will be allowed to view the property and they must be from the same household. No children under 18 will be allowed to visit the property.
Open houses are not currently permitted, and if there is more than one viewing for your property, we will ensure there is sufficient gap (for example 15 -30 minutes) after each viewing to allow time to clean the property between viewings, including cleaning of surfaces and door handles.
Our employees will accompany viewings however, should you choose to conduct a viewing yourself, please be advised that all of the above procedures must be adhered to.
Other Meetings: For the foreseeable future we will be opting for alternatives to physical meetings wherever possible using digital technology, telephone, email and video tools – depending on what you are comfortable to use. There may be times when it is necessary to meet property professionals, and, in these instances you will be required to follow social distancing guidelines.
Other visits to your property: These will be required to take photographs or create floorplans for example and, where possible, depending on the size of the property, the property professional will be asked to minimise time spent inside your property.
Most inspections, maintenance visits and energy assessments will require a professional to attend your property in person. Again, they will minimise time spent at the property, taking only as long as is necessary to complete the task.
As you can see, your safety and that of the viewers, your tenants and our staff, is our main priority. These procedures are all in place for that reason, and we are grateful for your help with this. You should expect other property professionals to exercise the same level of care for your safety before visiting your property.
Whilst some things are now different, our aims have not changed, so please be assured that we will continue to do all we can to keep your let on track from finding you a quality tenant through to the handover of keys. We will remain committed to excellent customer service throughout the tenancy, looking after your property and your tenants.
We hope that this answers any questions you might have but if you would like further clarification on any aspect of letting, please consult our Residential Lettings Guide or contact your local Frost office.
