The government has now withdrawn its guidance for landlords and lettings and estate agents for moving home safely during Covid-19, as restrictions in England come to an end.
The government has withdrawn its guidance for moving home during Covid-19, as restrictions lift across England. The government is no longer asking people to work from home, masks are no longer required but are still recommended in enclosed or private spaces, and people that test positive are now only advised to self-isolate, rather than it being a legal requirement. However, businesses should still carry out a health and safety risk assessment covering the risk of Covid-19, and take "reasonable steps" to mitigate any risks that assessment uncovers.
Mitigating risk for your agency, landlords, and tenants
Although the overarching guidance on moving home under Covid-19 has been lifted, the guidance on "how to stay safe and help prevent the spread" is still in place. This guidance includes:
- Ensuring the circulation of fresh air in indoor spaces, while not compromising on other safety aspects - for example, don't prop open fire doors to facilitate airflow
- Although it's no longer legally required, face masks are still encouraged in crowded or enclosed spaces
- Tests will no longer be free from 1 April 2022, aside for some vulnerable groups such as the over-75s or over 12s with weakened immune systems. However, until this date, anyone with symptoms is advised to take a test and stay at home, avoiding contact with people, until they receive the test result
- Anyone that's feeling unwell even without Covid-19 symptoms is advised to stay at home to limit passing that illness on to colleagues and to reduce the burden on the NHS
- Regular hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes is still advised
Businesses assessing the risk in the workplace should include:
- Identifying poorly ventilated areas
- Encouraging staff to not come to the office or attending any house visits if they're feeling unwell
- Providing hand sanitiser and encouraging those in the moving home process to wash their hands regularly
- Communicating to your staff, as well as your tenants and landlords, the measures you have put in place
This article is intended as a guide only and is based on the government's guidance on working safely during coronavirus, which is regularly updated.
