LATEST: Rental properties housing ‘shielding’ tenants can now be visited for repairs and maintenance

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Updated government guidance has given the green light for landlords to resume maintenance and repairs at properties where tenants are shielding – or to use the technical term ‘clinically extremely vulnerable’ people.

Civil servants have updated the official Covid guidance for landlords and tenants, which now says that from 1 August 2020, “following the relaxation of the guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable groups, clinically vulnerable or shielding households, it is advised they may permit landlords and contractors to carry out routine repairs and inspections providing that the latest guidance on social distancing is followed.

“We have also updated our local authority guidance with advice clarifying that local authorities may now resume routine inspections in people’s homes dependent on their individual priorities and enforcement policies.”

More relaxed

This more relaxed approach also now applies to viewings, which the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says can be completed at properties where people are shielding, but that they should be as short as possible and respect social distancing rules and – ideally – those who are shielding remain outside the property.

But the guidance also remains constant in most other areas – including that landlords and letting agents should not conduct viewings in properties where tenants are symptomatic or self-isolating, and that viewings should be conducted ‘virtually’ first – assuming the property was photographed or a virtual tour created beforehand.

“Tenants’ safety should be the first priority of letting agents and landlords,” the guidance says.

Read the updated guidance in full.

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Landlord launches ‘five-star’ private rental market reviews website

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A landlord has launched a private rental market reviews platform that seeks to enable good tenants and landlords to promote themselves to each other, for free, and give each other star-based score.

Former RAF helicopter pilot turned Oldham landlord Jon Maumy says his Tenancy Trust platform does not – like other reviews sites – concentrate on tenants and their complaints.

He says the service prompts landlords to ask tenants to give them reviews and also tenants to ask landlords for feedback.

And Tenancy Trust allows both landlords and other service providers to promote their properties and services to tenants free of charge.
Maumy says he came up with the idea while researching the property market as part of a post-graduate business course at the University of Northampton.

“Property rentals are like a blind date where both parties have to make a rapid commitment,” he says.

“Landlords entrust their costly properties to tenants they have never met who in turn agree to hand over a significant part of their income.

Horror stories

“While there are horror stories on both sides, the majority of landlords and tenants are decent but they need a better way to show it.

“Tenancy Trust allows them to use reviews in a pro-active way to build trust. It also plays a useful role in the referencing process.”

Maumy claims his service also enables tenants build a track record to help secure the best properties just as they might use their CV to get the right jobs.

“This is particularly important now competition is getting tougher and people are renting for longer before they buy,” he says.

Visit Tenancy Trust.

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LATEST: Formal pre-action protocol on the back burner ‘for the time being’

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The government has confirmed to LandlordZONE that its much-discussed pre-action protocol for the evictions process has been shelved for the time being.

This follows last Friday’s announcement that it is instead introducing more basic pre-action rules for landlords that nevertheless must be met before a possession hearing can be continued or granted.

These come into force on 23^rd August, the same day the eviction ban ends, and will apply to both existing action and new ones requiring landlords to:

• Provide a ‘reactivation notice’ informing the court and tenant in writing without which the case will remain dormant.
• Consider that if the action is about the non-payment of rent, the claim must set out what knowledge if any the landlord has as to the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic on the tenant and their dependants
• Produce the full arrears history in advance rather than at the hearing – this is encouraged rather than required.

The rules also suspend the standard period between issue of a claim form and hearing which would usually be not more than eight weeks.

Protocols ‘lite’

These pre-action rules are in effect a ‘lite’ version of a protocol, although the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) says that: “We remain interested in exploring the introduction of a pre-action protocol for private tenants in the future.

“New court rules – in place until end March 2021 – will require landlords to set out information about a tenant’s circumstances, including the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on a tenant’s vulnerability, when bringing a possession claim,” an MHCLG spokesperson says.

“Where this information is not provided, judges will have the ability to adjourn proceedings until such information is provided.

“This encourages landlords to have the right conversations with tenants before seeking repossession – helping to achieve the aims of a pre-action protocol. Through guidance, we are also encouraging landlords to agree to rent repayment plans or rent flexibilities where possible.”

Struggle

Paul Shamplina of Landlord Action says: “Using pre-action rules like this makes sense, but I really worry that landlords who have been waiting months from before Covid to evict tenants who haven’t been paying their rent, are going to struggle to re-engage and find out how Covid has affected their tenants.

“It is not practical and the chances of the tenant playing ball all pretty slim. So landlords are going to struggle to fulfil the pre-action rules and get their hearing.”

Read more about the eviction process rule changes.

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BREAKING: Wear a mask when in your letting agent’s branch, government urges landlords

admin    Uncategorized     agents

Landlords who visit their letting agent’s branch for a catch-up should wear a mask when inside the office, the government has urged.

From today onwards it is mandatory for everyone to wear masks in shops, enclosed shopping centres, supermarkets, train and bus stations as well as banks and building societies or risk a £100 fixed penalty fine if they refuse to do so after being asked.

The new regulations are not specific about estate agencies – somewhat strangely as many high streets contain dozens of them – but the guidance issued last night by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local government to the industry nevertheless strongly encourages landlords and tenants visiting branches to wear them.

“The face covering regulations do not explicitly refer to estate and letting agents but we would strongly encourage all members of the public who are visiting an agent’s office or viewing a property to wear a suitable face covering in order to prevent the spread of infection,” it says.

“We would also recommend that any agent who is interacting directly with the public also wears a face covering unless other protective measures are in place such as a screen.”

Health secretary Matt Hancock, who has set the new regulations to last for a year, says: “Everyone must play their part in fighting this virus by following this new guidance.

“I also want to thank the British public for all the sacrifices they are making to help keep this country safe.”

Read more about keeping safe during Covid.

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