By The measures to limit the spread of Coronavirus have disrupted the property industry various times during the last year.
Though the property market is still open, a national lockdown, rising case rates and further economic uncertainty mean that property professionals are still having to navigate a workload full of challenges.
While there have been many innovations in property management that have helped agents and managers react to the pandemic and continue working, there are still a range of challenges that property professionals will need to be aware of throughout 2021.
Meeting the EICR deadline
The Electrical Inspection Condition Report (EICR) deadline approaching in April means that all properties, including those already occupied will need an up-to-date report on their electrical safety and performance.
This is just one of many routine checks and inspections property owners are expected to conduct when renting to tenants that are being complicated by the pandemic. While many, like check-in, interim and check-out inspections can now be completed remotely, the EICR is an in-depth inspection of all electrical outlets that identifies damage or defects that need to be corrected.
This inspection must be completed for all properties, regardless of occupation, by April 2021, meaning many property managers and landlords with long-term tenants will need to find some way of accessing the property before this to complete the EICR.
Inspecting between tenants
The most obvious strategy for completing the EICR is to have a registered professional conduct the work in between tenants when the property is vacant.
This will be possible for any landlords whose tenants are moving out before April and will need to be considered when agreeing a move-in time for new tenants. However, this won’t be the case for every property in need of an inspection.
Supporting long-term tenants
Understandably, the reality of inviting workmen into your home during this period of considerably high coronavirus case rates could be distressing for some tenants.
This could particularly be the case for any vulnerable tenants or those with pre-existing conditions.
It’s important to prioritise the health of your tenants. The government have stated that the EICR will not be required as long as there is evidence that you have tried to arrange the inspection, so it’s recommended that you communicate with your tenants and contractors by email.
If this is the case, you will either need to work with your tenants to plan a suitable and safe time for the inspection to be completed or give evidence that the inspection cannot be completed until a time when the risk to your tenants is lower.
Conducting checks & inspections under Covid measures
As mentioned there are a range of checks that a landlord is required to complete, including inventories and interim inspections.
With the pandemic resulting in increased home working for property professionals and limited access to properties, there have been a variety of tools devised to keep these services going.
Self-service inspections
Self-service check-in, interim and check-out inspections allow tenants to complete checks of their property themselves at key points in their tenancy.
By introducing this method, property workers can maintain a safe distance from their tenants while also continuing to provide a top quality service.
From its launch in March 2020, InventoryBase’s self-service inspection template was downloaded over 20,000 times in the first three months of the pandemic.
This number has continued to increase as property professionals make use of this strategy to keep themselves and their tenants safe.
Live inspections
Live inspections involve property inspectors carrying out checks by video link without needing the inspector to attend the property. While coronavirus measures are in place, this will ensure properties are inspected professionally even when inspectors are not locally available.
This will ensure that household mixing is kept to a minimum which will be essential even as measures relax later in the year.
This will also be effective beyond the coronavirus pandemic as live inspection software will make it easier for property professionals to arrange inspection work at short notice or with trusted inspectors no matter where they are in the country.
With the future of coronavirus measures so uncertain, the EICR deadline is probably not high up on the list of priorities for many property managers and landlords.
However, it’s these complications that mean forward thinking is going to be required to get everything done before the deadline.
Working with tenants to find suitable solutions and granting them responsibility over their homes helps to prioritise health while still maintaining safety and reliability on the part of property managers whatever checks and inspections need to be carried out.
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