Updated guidance for landlords and tenants

Lockdown easing 2021: Updated guidance for landlords and tenants

The Government has once again seen fit to update its general document that has been used throughout the pandemic, Guidance for Landlords and Tenants.

The latest update for March 2021 reaffirms and strengthens a landlord’s position regarding access to and repairs at properties, covering the re-ending of the shielding programme. It states:

• Landlords are able to carry out normal services to properties – including urgent and routine repairs and safety inspections, and planned maintenance – during the national lockdown which is in force in England, provided these are undertaken in line with public health advice and the relevant coronavirus (COVID-19) legislation.

• For households in which one or more people are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV), any non-emergency work should only be undertaken at the discretion of the individuals concerned and anyone entering a CEV household should take significant precautions to prevent infection. From 1 April 2021 clinically extremely vulnerable people are no longer advised to continue shielding but are advised to continue taking extra precautionary steps to protect themselves and minimise their risk of exposure to the virus.

• Current restrictions may mean it is harder to carry out routine or essential repairs and maintenance, but landlords should make every effort to meet their responsibilities. Tenants should also be aware that workforce and resource constraints may mean it will take slightly longer than usual to carry out non-urgent repairs, and some landlords will also have built up a backlog that they need to manage down.

In summary:

• Repairs, regulatory checks and safety inspections are to continue as normal
• Whilst it maybe harder to do so, landlords should be making every effort
• Tenants should give access with any precautionary steps they require
• No access is to be done if the tenant or anyone in the household is in isolation and or have COVID-19 symptoms

As always don’t sit and ponder on a question or a thought you have. Pick up the phone or drop an email to our social housing compliance guru Andrew Fairman (details below) and he’ll be happy to help.