Boilers still break and locks still need changing, writes property manager Ashley Prowse. But it’s fantastic to help landlords and tenants look after each other
With lockdown now stretching into its sixth week, it’s strictly business as usual for the Horton and Garton property management team.
We continue to receive the steady stream of maintenance issues to address. But now there’s a whole new set of considerations about how we safely access properties to keep our tenants and contractors healthy. As members of industry body ARLA Propertymark, we’re constantly checking the government advice and guidelines that affect our industry.
As property managers, we need to assess the situation and determine if a maintenance issue requires prompt action or not. The challenge is to limit the number of contractors interacting with tenants when work needs to be done.
Keep it essential
Essential issues such as leaks, broken boilers, faulty appliances and security breaches are – at the moment – addressed as normal. However, we need to ensure properties are safe to enter and that contractors take the necessary precautions, including the correct PPE for visits.
Thankfully, we work with excellent contractors who have proven to reliable, reputable and professional over the last 12 years that Horton and Garton has operated in Hammersmith. This has greatly helped us quickly and effectively adapt to these new conditions.
There are also legal requirements when letting a property, such as an annual gas safety checks that continue to be an essential priority.
However, we have agreed with our many landlords the need to postpone our bi-annual inspections. This is to protect tenants and contractors.
Heart-warming tales
I’ve had some genuinely heart-warming moments over this past six weeks, including working with landlords who have asked us to contact their tenants and check they’re OK.
I know concerned landlords that have also delivered shopping for vulnerable tenants and generally everyone has shared more of their time and displayed more empathy.
These examples of human kindness have truly been the silver lining to these challenging circumstances we now find ourselves in.
If you can, stay home and stay safe.
