How to Instruct Home Relief at the Time of COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions Easing
As the COVID-19 lockdown has been gradually eased, some landlords/ladies may be thinking of instructing or re-instructing us.
This week, we will be working with those landlords/ladies who are contemplating to let their properties, but are hesitant since the coronavirus pandemic is still constraining the economy.
This week’s work will be about exploring with them their property letting needs, requirements and expectations under the current phase of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions easing. In doing so, it is hoped the work with them will come up with some sort of a roadmap with them concerning private residential property lettings in a progressive COVID-19 lockdown restrictions easing.
The working activity will cover areas such as the following:
√ COVID-19 measures and restrictions in the context of a reopened housing market
√ Lettings plan and process under the circumstances of an economy in a progressive lockdown
restrictions easing
√ Property maintenance within the framework of protection against coronavirus pandemic
√ Property disinfection, decontamination and cleaning to get rid of the strains and traces of COVID-19
√ Alternative to physical aspects of lettings (e.g. virtual or online viewings versus in-person viewings)
√ Online rental payments and cover
√ Update on available resources and guidance about the coronavirus pandemic in the letting industry (e.g. self-care, health, security, post/mail, etc.)
One could hope that the week’s working activity will help …
√ To protect landlords/ladies from misinformation or lack of appropriate information regarding private residential property letting and management under the COVID-19 restraint
√ To boost landlords/ladies confidence for instructing or lettings while improving their understanding of extra health and safety provision in the context of lettings in the time of COVID-19 lockdown easing
√ To safeguard landlords/ladies’ interests and investment while saving money as the economy gradually reopens
√ To avoid trouble tenancies and misunderstanding throughout this time of economic reopening
√ To reduce exposition to COVID-19 risk and associated risks of the moment
√ Above all, to bring peace of mind and security when giving instructions to let your property in time of the coronavirus pandemic
If you are a landlord/lady and want to give instructions to let but do not know what to do during this time of COVID-19 lockdown easing, why not work with Home Relief?
Need us to proceed with your lettings during this phase of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions easing and anti-coronavirus measures, please work with Home Relief.
If you are looking for an affordable location and home, Home Relief is the people dealing with affordable homes you could consider in your property searches and enquiries.
This week we are working with landlords/ladies and home owners to determine ways of setting up good rent levels regardless of seasons (including in uncertain times like of the coronavirus and the easing of non-essential retail restrictions).
A good rental yield
If you would like to invest in properties for rental purpose, you will need to find out what is called “rental yield”. The latter is defined in the property jargon as the value of rent you can expect to receive from your property in a year. In other words, a rental yield is the return made on a property investment in terms of monthly rent charged compared to the value or price of the property paid. Generally, it is considered that a rental yield between 5 and 8 per cent is relatively good for a buy-to-let investment.
Getting expert advice about your asking rent
Before issuing a tenancy (for example an assured short hold tenancy agreement), it is advisable to seek expert advice about the levels of rent that your property can generate. It is important to seek this kind of advice so that you do not charge more or less than what your property really deserves.
There are benefits in seeking expert advice on the rent level. One of these benefits is that it helps to avoid any potential conflicts (such as unpaid rents or rent arrears) with tenants over the level of rent you are charging in the course of the tenancy period.
Where to get rent advice
Rent advice can be obtained from various sources or experts on the rental market. It can be given by a local rent officer, a letting agency, a rent valuation office etc. You can even get it online through various websites having properties rent valuation features or online rent calculator. Some of these rent services are free of charge without obligations.
Online rental yield calculator
A rent calculator is a rental valuation tool created by a team of data scientists and that enables to find out, in advanced way, how much rent to charge for any house or flat in the UK. Through the online rent calculator, you can enter a property postcode and the calculator will instantly give you the rental value of the property or the average rent by postcode. You can do it to work out the process of determining rental yield as well.
Working with Home Relief to set up a rent policy
This week, what we are undertaking with landlords/ladies is not only fixing a rent for a particular property. It is also trying to develop a rent policy and structure for our clients so that their properties could command a rent level that is fairly good or decent irrespective of seasons (i.e. Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn, busy, not busy, EU exit, the coronavirus crisis, etc.). Why?
There are various reasons that contribute to a good rent policy or structure. There could be changes in the rental market and the economy with ups and downs. Likewise, your property may not be the same when you last refurbished it.
In the above circumstances, what can you do for your property to command decent rents regardless of seasons, regardless of lows and highs in the rental sector? Landlords/ladies need to bear in mind that each property is a particular case that needs to be treated on its own. There should not be one size fits all rent policy.
What is a good rent in times of the coronavirus disruption and the easing of non-essential retail restrictions
In time of the coronavirus disruption and the easing of non-essential retail restrictions , it is recommendable to get all the facts and data right and clear before making any decision over the rent. There are already conflicting stories and messages about the performance of the property market and the way the rental market is reacting over this challenging time.
Any decision made over rent has to be based on verifiable statistics rather than commentaries and speculations made by the mass media. To get the right decision, each property case has to be treated individually with all the determinant market factors and conditions. This should be done while considering the short, medium and long term changes.
If you are a landlord/lady and or home owner and would like your property generates a level of rental income that is respectable or very good but you do not know where to start and how to go about it, Home Relief can work with you to determine the better rental value for your property.
To get advice for the better rent level for your property to let, please contact Home Relief NOW.
To know whether this week’s session on A Good Rental Yield can or cannot work for you as a landlord/lady, contact Home Relief NOW!
If you are looking for an affordable location and home, Home Relief is the people dealing with affordable homes you could consider in your property searches and enquiries.
How to weather bad times to rent a property and save in good rent-a-property times
Home seekers can rent a property at any times of the year (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter). There is no a particular season to rent as such, although there are times when the rental market may be favourable or unfavourable to particular home seekers. Besides these favourable or unfavourable markets, there are personnel circumstances that can provide the reasons for the timing to rent.
Reasons that contribute to the season to rent
There are times when the rental market conditions may seem not going to home seekers’ direction for various reasons, conditions which may include the following:
• Budget constraints
• Home seekers need to give notice where they are living
• Academic or employment reasons
• Health conditions
• Family motives
• The current situation of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns
Etc.
For all these various reasons, home seekers may choose to delay or anticipate the rental decision to take up tenancies of a property, in relation to their personal circumstances and conditions of life.
Reason linked to the EU exit
To the above personal circumstances, it can be added the continuing uncertainty linked to the ongoing process after the UK has exited from the EU.
With the contradictory news about what to do since the UK has left the EU, many home seekers may be asking whether or not this is the right time or season to rent. Like any other needs (such as needs to eat, dress, drink etc), everybody needs somewhere to shelter no matter the exit from the EU. Right time or not, this is a matter of personal decision.
Reason relating to the coronavirus crisis and lockdowns
Home seekers can as well try to think whether or not to rent now as we are in the middle of the battle against the coronavirus and in a national lockdown. For those who really need a place to live, the current circumstances of coronavirus and lockdown do not matter for them. In fact, finding a shelter could help them to better manage their personal circumstances during this crisis.
Easter rentals
The same can be said about the Easter time. Some home seekers may find that this time of the year is a convenient one to rent. On the contrary, the same time may be unsuitable for others.
This week we are working with home seekers to find out ways of weathering bad times to rent a property and saving in good rental times.
Weathering the times to rent
This week’s work with home seekers is a customised one. This is because each home seeker has particular circumstances and conditions of life.
The customised support will include the following:
√ Identification of individual bad times to rent and good times to rent
√ Development of survival rental strategies
√ Factors to consider when making a rental decision
√ Decision making process regarding the choice of the right time to rent
Etc.
Saving in good rent-to-property times
Home seekers can as well consider saving as an alternative so that they can rent when the season or timing is favourable to them. If so, there are saving options that can be looked at. This week, we are going to look at the saving options available in order to meet home seekers’ rental needs.
If you are a prospective tenant or home seeker and you are not sure about the best time for you to rent, Home Relief can work with you to consider the economic factors and rental parameters applicable to you as well as support you make an informed decision about the appropriate time for you to rent.
To involve Home Relief in your decision making process about rental times, contact Home Relief Now!
If you are looking for an affordable location and home, Home Relief is the people dealing with affordable homes you could consider in your property searches and enquiries.
Spring is another favourable season of the year for home seekers to hunt for properties to let.
If you are a landlord/lady, there are various reasons to consider letting your properties to home seekers at this time of the year despite the on-going coronavirus situation. There are reasons to do this which include the following.
• End of Winter move
The end of Winter can mean that those tenants, who were waiting for the change of season to make a smart move, may be willing to move out in Spring, and in doing so freeing places for the new comers and getting themselves ready to move to a new property.
• Low competition to let
When the competition to let a property is relatively low, this could mean that there are competitively priced properties to let. It also signifies that the supply outweighs the demand of properties to let; suggesting that the asking market rent is within the average renters’ budget like at this time of the lockdown.
• Home seekers’ will to rent
It does not matter whether or not there is a big or small stock of properties to let. What is a decisive factor is home seekers’ willingness to rent. Their will can command the rental transactions and the exchange of contracts.
• Ineffective market uncertainty
Despite the uncertainty linked to the current coronavirus situation, for those who are really looking for a place to rent, this uncertainty does not affect their willingness to move and have somewhere to live. They will still take the risk to rent.
• Risk-averse home seekers
Home seekers who are exposed to property market uncertainty, they may think that it pays off to rent now as they need a place to live now rather than waiting after the uncertainty. They may assume that the probability of finding or not finding the property they want will still the same now and after the uncertainty.
• Good deals on the market
When economic agents (e.g. home seekers or movers) are keen to proceed with their rental applications, there is always a chance to get good or fruity deals as far as letting is concerned.
• Home Relief as your Spring Rental Season Negotiators
Home Relief can negotiate between home seekers and landlords/ladies to achieve the optimal rents and tenancy terms that are suitable for all the parties to be engaged in the rental agreement.
• End of tenancy agreement
Those renters having the end of their tenancy agreement and or notice to leave coincide with the beginning of Spring can seize the rental opportunities of Spring to vacate.
The above is just a selection of basic demand and supply factors making the main reason for prospective home seekers to hunt for properties to rent this Spring. They indicate that those who want to let their properties can have good and attractive letting deals in this new season.
If you are a home owner and or landlord/lady planning to let your property but struggling to get the best letting deal, please do not hesitate to work with Home Relief.
If you are looking for an affordable location and home, Home Relief is the people dealing with affordable homes you could consider in your property searches and enquiries.
How families can overcome barriers and find a home to rent or buy within the catchment area schools of their choice
This week, we will be going out of our way by working together with families to help them search affordable homes in the area where they would like to find schools for their children.
As you probably know, Home Relief provides all-round residential property services principled by social goals with the aim of reducing housing deprivation for low income people and families. Our property relief service does not only provide home seekers and buyers with homes to live, but also help them to help themselves in effectively running their lives such as meeting educational needs for families with children.
As part of working with low income earners/families to find homes that meet their children needs; Homes, Families and Schools (HFS) as a topic will be discussed with home seekers and buyers this week.
What HFS is about
HFS is progressive session of home advice given by Home Relief to ordinary families looking to rent or to buy a property in the catchment area schools that are closer to their choices.
The advice, which uses a holistic approach, will be about working with them to consider all the circumstances about them (including their children), properties and schools that are on the market as well as market factors.
The session is run in such as a way that they can have a fair balance between their family circumstances, the type of homes and schools they are looking for; in doing so this will enable them to make an informed decision.
Forced home choices and average schools for ordinary families?
Often, ordinary families and low income earners have a very limited choice for both affordable homes to rent (or to buy) and preferred schools of their choices for their children. This type of home seekers and buyers, when they are looking for affordable homes within the catchment area schools at the top of the class, may often settle with a forced choice of getting homes closer to the national average grade schools only. At this time of coronavirus pandemic, this limitation is also constraigned by the need to protect against the pandemic.
Because these families have very limited incomes, it does not mean that the academic potentials and ambitions of their children have to be limited to unaffordable homes and forced choices of schools.
The HFS campaign will help these families to alleviate these two barriers or constraints (i.e. unaffordable homes and not-preferred schools) by supporting them as much as possible with information, advice, tips and guidance on these two matters. This would help them to get the best least possible choice on the housing and educational markets.
Attention readers!
The purpose of this week’s activity is to work with home seekers and buyers to reduce barriers in finding homes to rent or buy within the catchment area schools of their choice. The purpose of this week’s session is NOT to find schools for their children.
Expectations about this week’s campaign
Home Relief hopes that this week’s campaign will enable families seeking to rent or buy homes to the following
√ Get as much as information they need and make informed decisions and choices for homes to rent or buy while taking into account the educational needs of their children
√ Boost their own home renting and buying search skills (skills to find a home to rent or buy and skills to find preferred schools for kids)
√ Better use of property finder, catchment area checker and school finder online services
√ Make better home renting and buying planning (including budgeting)
√ Discuss ways of improving their status (their earning capacities and references) as home renters and buyers
√ Enhance their home seeking and buying applications in order to be within the catchment area schools of their choices or their children’s choices
√ Get informed on how the current changing and exiting economic climate will affect property rental and buying conditions for ordinary families as well as the right to choose schools
√ Include the coronavirus factor when making plans to rent or buy a property within the catchment area schools of their choice
This week’s campaign is therefore about giving a choice to low income families.
In the end, the all process of this week’s campaign is for them to generate a property rental or a property buy that includes both affordability and school preference.
Need home advice in relation to catchment area schools, work with Home Relief!
If you are looking for an affordable location and home, Home Relief is the people dealing with affordable homes you could consider in your property searches and enquiries.
How to answer this simple question when seeking homes to rent: What do you do?
In this continuing episode of a series of property themes regarding our campaign about affordable homes for low income people and families, we will be dealing with occupation.
As you probably know, Home Relief provides all-round residential property services principled by social goals with the aim of reducing housing deprivation for low income people and families.
Our property relief service does not only provide home seekers and buyers with advice to access a home to live, but also help them to help themselves in effectively running their lives.
One of the ways of supporting these people and families to effectively run their lives is helping them to rent or buy a home while encouraging them to be economically active through an economic occupation.
An economic occupation as a means of earning a living
When a solo renter or a family seeking home has an occupation, it means they have a means of earning a living. This could be that they are in one or two of these follwoing situations.
They are an employee or self-employee or starting a business.
They are performing a job in exchange for payment that could enable them to cover their property rental costs.
They could also be doing voluntary job or internship or on training and education with the expectation this would lead to paid occupation.
In any of the above situations, it means that they are doing something that could enable them to meet the rental requirements or financial tenancy obligations.
Link between occupation and rent payments
Occupation has to be placed here in the context of meeting contractual rent payments.
For example, looking after your own children or caring for a family member during the COVID-19 lockdown is a worthy occupation. But, this kind of occupation may need to be supported by a financial cover (e.g. housing benefit or saving) to pay for your rental obligations from rental point of view.
Yet, people and families on low income may have problems to meet certain levels of rents. Particularly, at this time of the coronavirus disruption, many people have lost their economic occupation and thus their earning capacity. This is why we are looking into occupation this week.
The purpose of this week’s session
The purpose of this week’s session is to work with prospective clients to find a home to rent or to buy. The purpose of this week’s session is NOT to find a job or occupation. Home Relief is a freelance property agent, but NOT an employment agency.
However, as part of our extended home service to low income earners we can provide some leads to our clients or home seekers in terms of opportunities in the areas where their current or future home is or will be.
Occupational opportunities could include the following: paid jobs, volunteering, education and training, apprenticeship, internship etc. These opportunities could be online, offline, paid or unpaid.
Yet, whatever they do as occupation, they have to make sure they are able to cover their rental commitments. In the property jargon, they need to meet the referencing criteria, which is household income should be 2.5 times the annual rent.
Why working with low income people and families on occupation matter?
There are several reasons for working with low income people and families around occupation matter. One of these reasons is that occupied and economically active renters and home seekers have more chance to secure and keep their accommodation compared to others.
Low income people and families do not earn enough to meet many of the high asking rents in the property market even at this challenging time of the coronavirus pandemic. They need to demonstrate that they can rent affordable homes. They can only do this if they can improve their income circumstances and meet their rental obligations related to rent payments or mortgage payments for home buyers.
Occupational case studies
To illustrate this better, let’s give you two cases.
1st Case: A resident landlady complaining about a tenant’s lack of economic occupation
During pre-COVID-19 time, we came across a case whereby a landlady complained to us and threatened to increase the tenant’s share of payments towards utility bills because the tenant was housebound. This is what this landlady said:
“The tenant I have stays every day in his room. Yet, when he rented the room, the contract was made on the basis that he would be often out to fully work and only coming in the evening to sleep and stay over the weekend”.
This landlady threatened to increase her tenant’s contribution towards the utility bills as she complained about the lack of outdoor occupation from the tenant. However, the current context of the COVID-19 lockdown instruction to stay home, the landlady’s attitude would be different.
2nd Case: A landlord willing to take benefit claimants with occupation
During the pre-COVID-19 time, we phoned a landlord and asked him whether or not he would consider home seekers claiming housing benefits. This is what he replied:
“I don’t mind letting my property to people or families claiming benefits as long as they can pay deposit and rent in advance, they have suitable references and have some occupation like studying or on training or looking for work or working part time”.
The above cases are self-explanatory about the relevancy of occupation when it comes to seeking to rent or buy a home.
This week’s session is about working with home seekers to improve their applications to be eligible for rent by making their occupation stand out.
This week’s expectations
We hope that at the end of this week’s activity the following will be achieved:
√ Home seekers will be better aware of the place and role of their economic activity in their rental applications
√ The importance that landlords/ladies or their agents can attach to the economic occupation
√ Steps to take to improve home seekers’ economic activity or status
√ What landlords/ladies and their agents are looking for when selecting home seekers’ applications, particularly when it comes to the occupation section
√ The balance between the overall of costs of renting a home (plus the other costs of living) and the total annual earnings (or income) that home seekers may have; and if there is a gap between the two, how they are prepared to address this issue for the life of the tenancy
√ Being on low income should not be considered as a low key as long as home seekers can offer other guaranties as well as can prove they are actively improving their economic status
In the end, this week’s process is about working with home seekers so that they can be able to respond to their prospective landlords/ladies and Home Relief to this simple question: What do you do for living?
To find out how this week’s activity may work for you, please contact Home Relief.
Simply need advice relating to occupation for your application to rent or buy a home, work with Home Relief.
If you are looking for an affordable location and home, Home Relief is the people dealing with affordable homes you could consider in your property searches and enquiries.
How to consider the non-living environment surrounding the property you want to rent or buy
This week, we are pursuing our campaign about affordable homes for families. We will be doing it by inserting non-living environmental dimensions. In particular, we will be looking at the location and positioning of the property to rent or buy in relation to non-living environments (such as weather, sun, climate, atmosphere, etc.).
It is pointless to mention that the location and positioning of the property to rent or buy is important in terms of the choice to make. What do we mean by this? We simply want to stress that the impacts or effects of non-living environmental conditions (such as sunlight, rain, snow, etc.) are relevant things to consider when choosing a property to rent or to buy.
These environmental conditions or factors also include things such as the surrounding environment of the property (like a property surrounded by trees, situated besides a high rise building or does not receive enough reflection from natural good weather).
Additionally, there are other environmental factors that renters and buyers may need to consider; factors which may include: exposure to hazardous substances (in the air, water, soil, etc.), climate change, natural and technological disasters, occupational disasters, etc.
Why non-living environments around the property matter
These non-living things matter, especially for those on low income and who are looking for affordable homes. These non-living environments surrounding the property can help to save money and improve health naturally. They can as well provide happiness and a good living for low income families. There are cases that demonstrate that the lack of these natural conditions can create unhappiness for renters or buyers.
A rental case related to the lack of healthy and happy living
We came across a case in which a family rented a house that was situated next to a big office building that obstructed any potential enjoyment of natural light and sunlight except the house receiving all the negative externalities from the building. Despite the fact that the property was centrally heated, it was constantly damp.
We received some complaints from the tenants at that time about the lack of healthy living inside the property. We then investigated the matter with the owner of the property. We found that in addition to above mentioned obstruction, the property was not treated from dampness.
This raised an environmental case. We advised the owner about the case and reached an agreement with the tenants to vacate the premises on environmental grounds. We then requested the owner to damp proof her property, which she did after the tenants vacated the premises.
The above case highlights how relevant is the choice one can make when deciding to rent or buy a property regardless of affordability. So, we will be working with both prospective family renters and buyers on the aspects of the environment surrounding the property they need to consider should they want to rent or buy.
What we hope to achieve through this week’s activity
One can hope that at the end of this week’s activity potential renters and buyers will be able to achieve the following:
√ To carefully consider environmental aspects related to a property to rent or buy
√ To be aware and act upon the probable effects of climate on the property to rent or buy
√ To check the health elements of the property both inside and outside
√ To be informed about the environmental checks they need to know or carry out before agreeing to any tenancy or buying contract
√ To be able to interpret or understand the environmental impacts and findings related a property in the context of renting or buying
√ To compile and or understand a basic report about the health and environmental aspect of the property, etc.
For those renters and buyers buying the services of a letting or estate agent, some of these environmental points would normally be included in the service they provide in the form of a letting or buying file. Those who technically surveyed the property would have dealt with these matters.
Renters and buyers can as well find some of this information via environmental searches (from the local authority or any environmental agency specialised in the matter) about the property.
For those who want to work with Home Relief and find more about these non-living environments attached to the property, they are welcome to do so.
Need to know more about non-living environments surrounding properties, why not work with Home Relief?
Simply need health advice related to homes to rent or to buy, work with Home Relief.
If you are looking for an affordable location and home, Home Relief is the people dealing with affordable homes you could consider in your property searches and enquiries.
Renting or buying a property nearby public parks and open green spaces
This week, we will be working with renters and prospective buyers on homes located within few minutes walking distance to a local park or a common or an open green space. This is vital at this time of the COVID-19 lockdown; time during which many families have nearly exhausted all the possibilities in terms of things they could do indoor at homes. They are looking for outdoor public open spaces to reduce the COVID-19 lockdown pressure and vicious circle.
When making a choice for a home to rent or buy, it is important to think of outdoor spaces nearby where you could go without having to pay for using them. Public parks and or open green spaces are usually free and can be a place to go to with your family and reduce the COVID-19 lockdown pressure. There are pros and cons about parks and open green spaces. However, in this short post, we are focussing on the benefits of choosing a home near by a park.
What is good to have a home nearby parks and open green spaces?
There are many published benefits about public parks and green open spaces which renters and buyers can find in print and online. In the context of this post, we have researched and identified some of them which are as follows.
Public parks and open green spaces can help families …
√ Run their COVID-19 bubbles as specified by the restricted rules related to forming a COVID-19 bubble
√ Maintain contact with nature and recreate outdoors
√ Stay physically active and fit
√ Improve mental health
√ Improve the quality of air the family breathes
√ Provide a place for children and families to connect each other
√ Create an opportunity to practise sport and have a picnic
√ Get in touch with your local community
√ Improve the family health and wellbeing specially at this time of COVID-19 lockdown
Etc.
It is also argued that parks and open green spaces could be a rental/buying point when negotiating the property rent/price.
On the contrary, the downside is that your home is likely to be exposed to everything happening in the park/open green space including noise.
The above advantages relating to properties nearby parks and open green spaces are general. They need to be contextualised in terms of the location of the property to rent or buy. They also need to be customised since each family is different with their own needs in terms what they can afford.
So, we will be working with both prospective family renters and buyers on helping them to decide whether or not they need to consider parks and/or open green spaces in their home rental or buying applications.
What we hope to achieve through this week’s activity
One can hope that at the end of this week’s activity potential renters and buyers will be able to achieve the following:
√ To carefully consider public parks and or open green spaces when making their applications to buy or rent
√ To be aware and act upon the probable beneficial effects of public parks and or open green spaces on the property to rent or buy
√ To check the rents and prices of properties located in the vicinity of public parks and green open spaces
√ To be well informed about the public parks and open green spaces they need to know before agreeing to any tenancy or buying contract
√ To be able to interpret or understand the rental/buying impacts of homes near a park
√ To compile a basic comparative report about homes within a short distance to a local park in terms of advantages and disadvantages, etc.
For those renters and buyers buying the services of a letting or estate agent, some of the above mentioned points would normally be included in the service the agent provides in the form of a property letting or buying file. Those who technically did some thorough searches on the property would have dealt with these matters.
Renters and buyers can as well find some of this information via local searches (from the local authority or any environmental agency specialised in open green spaces) about the property.
For those who want to work with Home Relief and find more about renting or buying a home within a short walking distance to a local park, they are welcome to do so.
Need to know more about renting or buying nearby parks or open green spaces, why not work with Home Relief?
Simply need advice related to homes to rent or to buy, work with Home Relief.
If you are looking for an affordable location and home, Home Relief is the people dealing with affordable homes you could consider in your property searches and enquiries.
How to integrate health elements in your home seeking and buying plans
This is a campaign designed to work with low income families and those who are planning to rent or buy homes. The focus of this campaign is on health issues, particularly the coronavirus pandemic.
• What FHH (Families, Homes and Heath) will be about
We will be dealing with both indoor health within a home to rent or to buy, and outdoor health outside in the area where renters’ and potential buyers’ future home will be located and the health facilities or amenities with that area.
• How Home Relief can help low income renters/buyers
As you probably know, Home Relief provides all-round residential property services principled by social goals with the aim of reducing housing deprivation for low income people and families.
Our property relief service does not only provide home seekers and buyers with advice to access a home to live, but also help them to help themselves in effectively running their lives.
Among the ways of supporting these people and families to effectively run their lives is helping them to rent or buy a home which is healthy and in healthy area with health facilities or amenities.
As part of working with low income earners/families to find homes that meet their health needs; Families, Homes and Health (FHH) will be the topic for discussion with home seekers and buyers this week.
• Why FHH is the focus for this week
The reason for this FHH campaign is that people and families with low income earning capacity are often forced to take or choose budget properties in a budget area. This could raise some concerns about the health conditions inside these properties as well as the health facilities or amenities in this budget (sometimes deprived) area. This is despite the fact that most sensible landlords/ladies and professional letting/estate agents would cover the health element in the property service they would offer. At this time of the health crisis brought by the coronavirus, most of them would include COVID-19 issues in the product/service they are offering in order to protect their customers and the general public.
The health issue (like the coronavirus pandemic) in a home rental and buying market is very relevant than what one could imagine. We came across a couple owning a property and discovered after many years of living in that property they bought sometimes ago that it was built on a dangerous site and unsafe land; land subject to a collapse in the future. The property developers who sold them the land and built the property were no longer on the market. This is just one of the many health examples to consider.
• Right to a decent home
Regardless of income sizes, all human beings are entitled to live in decent conditions. The issue of health becomes even a matter of concern where the home seekers and or buyers have health conditions and require a particular property to meet those conditions but cannot afford it. It is further important in the case of children when they are part of the occupancy of the property to rent or to buy. Furthermore, the coronavirus pandemic has changed the way in which we perceive health matter in the context of home decency as well as in the public life.
This week’s activity with home seekers and buyers will help them to get some insights about the areas of health they need to be fully aware before renting or buying a home.
• What is included in this week’s session?
The session will consider the following
√ Areas of health to check when viewing a property to rent or to buy
√ Health questions and hazards to raise when viewing a property
√ Health history of the property and area (e.g. environmental site)
√ Health infrastructures and amenities in the local area
√ Areas of health you should tick the box for protection against the coronavirus pandemic
√ Environmental health in the local area (for example an area where there is or used to be a recycling site or with high level of pollution)
Etc.
As part of this week’s session, we will look at the areas of law related to health, safety and standards for properties to rent and to buy. We will as well deal with some aspects of health insurance related to properties to rent and to buy. Since we are in a new situation of the coronavirus pandemic, we will as well check what the law and the housing sector say about the coronavirus pandemic as far as property rental and buying are concerned.
• Expected outcomes
We hope that at the end of this week’s health learning process, home seekers and buyers will be or become
√ Health-aware regarding homes to rent or to buy
√ Well informed than they were about health and environmental laws and their implications for the home buying and rental world
√ Capable of matching their budget with their health demand in their property searches and enquiries
√ More able than before to choose healthy environmental life and lifestyle for themselves and their children
√ Keen in doing some health and environmental searches before renting or buying a property
√ Knowledgeable in protecting their families regarding healthy homes/living
√ Aware of health insurance and protection related to property injuries and issues
√ Familiar with areas of law regarding health issues linked to properties to rent or to buy
√ Confident in integrating health considerations (including the coronavirus pandemic) in their home seeking and buying plans
To find out how this week’s activity may work for you, please contact Home Relief.
Simply need health advice related to homes to rent or to buy, work with Home Relief.
If you are looking for an affordable location and home, Home Relief is the people dealing with affordable homes you could consider in your property searches and enquiries.
Rentals under the National Guidance on Moving Home Safely
As the lockdown is still in place and the housing market is still opened but under some restrictions, Home Relief will be e-discussing with renters about their moving in and out plans.
Home Relief will be e-working with them on how to proceed with their rental plans under the constraint of Covid-19 and the conditions of anti-coronavirus measures and restrictions. This e-discussion will be dealing with a number of points such as:
√ Understanding on how the rental industry is operating under the national guidance on moving home safely
√ What to do and what not to do as renters during the lockdown
√ How to adapt to new ways of working in the rental sector (e.g. virtual viewings, disinfection or cleaning of property before and after viewings)
√ How to prepare themselves as prospective tenants and rent within the boundaries of anti-coronavirus and lockdown rules
√ New areas of safety and protection to consider in the new era of Covid-19 adversity
√ Understanding and maintenance of the socially distanced rules within the rental sector (e.g. to keep 2 meters apart during property viewings; staggered viewings, letting fresh air in, wearing a face covering, etc.)
√ Help those who want to move progress their plans to move
The e-discussion will enable those who want to rent to have the opportunity to e-discuss their plans in more details and register their rental needs.
Need to rent under the Covid-19 constraint and the National Guidance on Moving Home Safely, please e-work with Home Relief.
If you are looking for an affordable location and home, Home Relief is the people dealing with affordable homes you could consider in your property searches and enquiries.
