We are living in challenging times with many working from home and with many offices being closed as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak. Many of our clients who need general handyman and building maintenance support are estate agents who are adapting their usual business operations to respond to the current challenge
Below we outline some of the elements that estate agents should consider to ensure they and their clients are adhering to the government’s social distancing guidelines so that their staff and their clients are safe. Many of these are from the UK government’s recently issued guidelines for landlords and tenants.
Of course, we at TMT Central would like to let our estate agent clients know that they are not alone. If you find yourself short staffed or needing an extra pair of hands, our team of professional handymen are available for inspecting and maintaining any of the properties in your portfolio.
1. Landlords’ repair obligations have not changed. Properties do still need to be kept in good repair and hazard free.
2. Whilst planned inspections might be difficult during this time, where possible, regularly review and maintain a property. It’s always good to have early and constructive conversations with tenants about repairs that are needed so that they can be properly planned and executed.
3. Inspectors and maintenance workers are able to still carry out visits to multi-occupied properties for essential as well as urgent work such as inspecting and testing fire alarm and emergency lighting systems.
4. Landlords are still responsible for regular gas and electrical safety inspections and should make every effort to abide by existing gas safety regulations and the new electrical safety regulations which come into force on 1 July. If this isn’t possible because you are having difficulty accessing the property or are unable to get a contractor to carry out the checks, ensure that you have tried your best and have a papertrail that can show your efforts.
5. Following sensible precautions is a must! This includes wearing gloves and a mask, keeping a 2-meter distance, and avoiding all direct contact. Where possible, ask a tenant to stay in a separate room while work is being done in another part of the property.
6. If you have clients moving into or out or a property, consider scheduling a deep clean or advising the client to schedule one. Many tenants and buyer choose to do this in normal situations, but deep cleans are highly advisable now.
7. In the case of a tenant or buyer moving into or out of a property, also ask if anyone in the property has had Covid-19. If so, cleaning staff will need proper personal protective equipment (PPE). In particular, the government advises: “Non-healthcare workers should be trained in the correct use of a surgical mask, to protect them against other people’s potentially infectious respiratory droplets when within 2 metres, and the mask use and supply of masks would need to be equivalent to that in healthcare environments.”
If you have any questions about this advice, our team of London-based handymen are at your service.
To read the full government guidance, visit: Resources
Resources