Covid 19 - Property Management
Since the announcement of the property market reopening Orchards have been working with suppliers, and our clients to ensure safe practices are in place for when we reopen on Monday 18th May.
Simple guidance outlined below is being provided to all of our contractors, tenants and property management staff;
Maintenance can resume as normal, with contractors abiding by social distancing guidelines.
Tenants have the opportunity to reject access for works, inspections etc. including those works seen as compliance issues.
Minimum 3 void days to be put in place in between tenancies
All tenancy documentation to be signed online.
Keys for Move ins and Contractors to be cleaned before giving out and once being received back.
Use of an external key safe for contractor collection of keys
Routine inspections to continue via video call.
Tenants will be asked standard questions before works are arranged to determine if they are “at risk” or recently been ill.
Contractors will be asked standard questions before works are arranged to determine if they are “at risk” or recently been ill.
Covid 19 - Office Procedures
Since the announcement of the property market reopening Orchards have been working with suppliers, and our clients to ensure safe practices are in place for when we reopen on Monday 18th May.
Simple guidance outlined below has been provided to all of our staff to ensure the remain safe whilst working.
Wipe down all surfaces each morning and end of day
Taking and recording temperature each morning
Staggered Lunch times
Front Office staff to use the front door as entrance and exit
Middle office staff use middle door as entrance and exit
Client facing and Office based staff to be separated including in common areas.
Different Kitchen and Toilet facilities provided for the Front Office Staff and Middle Office Staff
Maintaining a minimum of 2 metre for anyone entering the office but minimise access by locking the front door.
Bringing in lunch from home which doesn’t require putting in the fridge or the microwave in order to cut down on surfaces touched.
Stay at your assigned workspace (NO HOT DESKING)
Anyone showing any symptoms no matter how minor must stay home.
Covid 19 Valuations
Since the announcement of the property market reopening Orchards have been working with suppliers and our clients to ensure safe practices are in place for when we reopen on Monday 18th May.
Simple guidance outlined below will enable us to ensure all parties remain safe, and valuations are able to recommence.
Vendors have the opportunity to choose between three styles of valuation - 1) Standard Visit to the property - 2) Video Call Valuation or 3) Desktop Valuation
Vendor and Agent to maintain a minimum of 2 metre distance from each other at all times.
All discussions surrounding the valuation etc. ideally to be carried out either in the garden or by phone/video call, otherwise at a minimum 2 metre distance.
Supporting documentation surrounding the valuation to be provided in digital copies rather than hard copy.
The vendors agree to wiping all surfaces down before and after
The vendors are to leave doors, windows open, and lights on
Agent to wear gloves throughout the visit and dispose of them properly, immediately afterwards
Agent to wear masks when indoors
Agent to wash your hands with soap and water (or hand sanitiser if not available) immediately after entering a property.
Vendor advised to wash hands immediately after the valuation has finished
As standard all new property instructions will now including a Virtual Tour / Video Tour
Covid 19 - Viewings
Since the announcement of the property market reopening Orchards have been working with suppliers, vendors and viewers to ensure safe practices are in place for when we reopen on Monday 18th May.
Simple guidance outlined below will enable us to ensure all parties remain safe, and viewings are able to recommence.
Maximum time limit of 15 minute for viewings
Maximum of 3 adults from same household allowed to view – No friends or relatives
No open houses will be held
Viewing of Virtual Tours and/or Video Tours prior to physical viewing
Viewing qualification form must be completed, ensuring the viewer and vendor are comfortable with the practices in place and have not recently, or currently ill.
Vendors to leave the property or at the very least if not possible to leave will be in the garden
The vendors agree to wiping all surfaces down before and after the viewing
Vendors to leave doors open, lights on and windows open.
Applicant agrees to not touch any surfaces
Agent to wear gloves and maintain 2m distancing
Agent to wear mask when indoors, viewers advised of the same.
Viewer and Agent to wash hands with soap and water (or hand sanitiser if not available) immediately after entering a property.
No Printed Brochures to be provided at this time.
As standard all new properties will have a video tour / virtual tour. We are working with our vendors to retrospectively introduce these to our existing marketed properties.
Message to Our Vendors
Dear Our Vendors,
May we start by saying thank you. Thank you to all of the vendors who have taken the time to contact us and to discuss as best we can, the plans for the future.
If your property has sold – We will be working with you and your buyer to ensure key communication is kept through this period. We are having briefings with all solicitors as to their official guidance on exchanges & completions and so far it seems to be that the advice is for simultaneous exchanges and completions. This does increase the risk, but the idea is that it doesn’t create a situation where someone effectively fails to complete on their sale or purchase when the situation is out of their control and become legally responsible for mounting costs.
For those of you who have exchanged – the main issue has been caused by some removal companies cancelling bookings. Please ensure you contact your removal company at the earliest point you can to confirm they are still going ahead as planned. Solicitors and Banks remain able to complete at this time.
If your property is for sale – Strangely enough, our research from speaking to applicants, and the number of enquiries and new registrations we are receiving are showing that the market doesn’t appear to be slowing, and if anything this time of isolation may increase the demand to move. Having spoken to a number of homeowners they begin to realise that they need to upsize since working from home with two kids all day means they are aware they need more space. Or downsizing because they realise they have worked too hard and for too long to worry about income anymore.
But even if your buyer doesn’t fall in to either category, most people are expecting to see their time spent on apps like Rightmove, Facebook Market Place and local business websites increase as they face this period of isolation.
We continue to be available by phone and by email Monday to Saturday.
Our best advice during this period is that if your enquiry is urgent to please email team@orchards.co.uk to ensure an available member of the team receives it.
Please continue to call our normal landline number of 01525 40 22 66.
Kindest Regards
The Whole Team at Orchards
Message to our Tenants
Dear Tenants,
First of all I would like to say thank you for your continued dialogue with us. Communication is key and we ask all of you to contact us with any concerns you may have.
Everyone at Orchards fully appreciates the stress and strain you are all under during this time, don’t forget are team comprises of tenants too.
The team are working hard in the background to ensure you get the continued service you require and deserve, but understandably we are going to need you help during this time too.
As of this now;
All property inspections are being postponed.
To ensure the legal obligations of our landlords are fulfilled any Gas Certificate which are due to expire within in the next two months are being instructed for renewal now. This is essential maintenance, but should you have any concerns at all please let us know. They will only proceed with you permission. Please ensure you contact Gas-Elec if you have any concerns about having the inspection carried out on 01473 827277.
For properties currently on the market, we will ask you to clarify your intentions, if you are still able to vacate at the date you had originally planned or do we need to make alternative arrangements with you.
Essential maintenance will be the priority for all members of staff here, ensuring boilers, water supplies, electricity etc remain uninterrupted.
Perhaps most importantly for some is the financial struggles that may occur at this time.
We have been struggling to find the best possible way to word this, but the reality is, it’s really rather black and white. Your rent remains legally due, and the last thing we want to see is any tenant end up getting themselves in debt and we stress that you get the financial help required in order to continue to pay your rent. The government has increased the amount of financial support on offer for housing claims and universal credit claims.
Just because your landlord has the term “landlord” they are still the same as you and I, still have the same financial concerns, still trying to find the best way to work during this time in order to pay their bills, a large proportion of our landlords are retired and have put their money into property where pension funds were failing and there was virtually zero return in interest from the banks. These landlords rely heavily on the rent as the income they live off and they too are also very worried.
If you cannot pay the full rent, pay what you can when you can, to help stop the debt from escalating and any outstanding amounts will need to be settled by arrangement once we are through this period if the full rent does not come in.
It also poses a lot of other potential issues from a management point of view such as not having any funds to pay contractors for maintenance which comes out of the rent and of course our own wages, as individuals we are also in a position where we will lose our own income and not be able to pay our own rent. The knock on effect is quite far reaching so we all await for more specifics to be clarified and hope that it provides some reassurance for all of us because at present all parties are naturally left anxious and wondering where we all go from here!
We are hoping however that the government’s announcement on Friday to support employers by covering 80% of the wages of furloughed workers will prevent or limit the number of workers being unpaid at this time.
Further advice and information can be found below.
Government advice - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-support-for-employees-benefit-claimants-and-businesses
Housing Benefit - https://www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/info/53/benefits/5/housing_benefit
Housing Benefit Central Beds - https://centralbedfordshire.egovhub.net/Org/Production/Apps/HBNewClaim/Launch.aspx
Universal Credit - https://www.universal-credit.service.gov.uk/postcode-checker
We continue to be available by phone and by email Monday to Saturday.
Our best advice during this period is that if your enquiry is urgent to please email team@orchards.co.uk to ensure an available member of the team receives it.
Please continue to call our normal landline number of 01525 40 22 66.
Kindest Regards
The Whole Team at Orchards
Message to our Landlords
Dear Landlords,
May we start by saying thank you.
Thank you to all of the landlords who have taken the time to contact us and to discuss as best we can, the plans for the future.
We have all come to terms with the reality that in this uncertain time, rent arrears may be a possibility, but we want to reassure you that we are encouraging our tenants to work with us in order to minimise the risk of these happening. We are actively helping tenants get the help they need from the government and local councils to minimise arrears.
We will continue to be here for you and your tenant throughout the coming months, however we do all have a part to play in ridding ourselves of this dreadful virus, and it starts with us minimising physical contact.
All members of staff have been given the provisions to continue working securely from home. Our phone lines and emails will continue to operate as normal however we are taking precautions to protect you, your tenant and our staff.
As of this week;
1. All property inspections are being postponed.
2. We have contacted the Gas Safe register for information pertaining to the gas safety procedure, at this time they have advised to carry out “investigations” but have said they will respond separately in regards to “inspections”. As soon as we have an update for this we will let you know.
3. For properties currently on the market, understandably viewings are now not possible. We are actively discussing properties with potential tenants still and providing them with video tours where possible.
4. Essential maintenance will be the priority for all members of staff here, ensuring boilers, water supplies, electricity etc remain uninterrupted.
5. Should rent arrears occur we will work with you in order to best resolve them with your tenant.
Our service to you will continue through this difficult period, and if you have any questions or concerns please do call or email us.
We continue to be available by phone and by email Monday to Saturday.
Our best advice during this period is that if your enquiry is urgent to please email team@orchards.co.uk to ensure an available member of the team receives it.
Please continue to call our normal landline number of 01525 40 22 66.
Kindest Regards
The Whole Team at Orchards