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Why good communication is essential in these difficult times

06 April 2020 3741 Views
Why good communication is essential in these difficult times

As we keep being regularly told at the moment, we are living through unprecedented times, with the greatest restrictions on our civil liberties in peacetime as the country battles the coronavirus pandemic. 

Most aspects of normal life are currently on hold, the economy has effectively been put in sleep mode to stop a depression being triggered, and the property market is effectively on pause. 

However, at this difficult time, excellent communication is crucial – and none more so than when it comes to the landlord-tenant relationship. 

Good communication is vital at any time in this relationship, but even more so now with so much currently uncertain and unknown. 

This is also why the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS), one of the three government-approved deposit protection schemes, has called on landlords and tenants to have honest conversations about the current situation. 

What did the TDS say? 

The scheme has encouraged renters facing financial hardship because of Covid-19 to communicate with their landlords after emergency rental measures were announced by the government. 

The government’s newly introduced rules have been designed to make sure that no tenant in either social or private accommodation will be forced out of their home during the coronavirus crisis. 

TDS says it wants to ensure that tenants and landlords can collaborate successfully so that both sides of the rental process can find a mutually beneficial agreement or arrangement. 

“Under the new guidelines tenants are still liable for their rent, however, if they are facing financial hardship there is support out there,” Steve Harriott, chief executive of TDS, said.  

“It’s really important during this unprecedented situation that the lines of communication between renter and landlord are kept open. Now is the time to be having an honest and frank conversation about rents and financial concerns, working together to put a rent payment scheme in place.” 

He added: “Support has also been announced for landlords too as the government has asked lenders to provide a three-month mortgage payment holiday for those who have a buy-to-let mortgage.” 

Which lenders are offering a mortgage payment holiday? 

Having previously stated that it would not be offering buy-to-let (BTL) borrowers the option of a payment holiday, high-street lender Barclays recently backtracked and is now permitting BTL mortgage holders to request a payment holiday.  

Nationwide had already announced that it was extending its payment holidays to BTL landlords, while HSBC, NatWest/RBS, Santander, Virgin Money, Paragon Bank and Coventry Building Society are offering three-month payment holidays, too.  

You can find out more about which lenders are offering a BTL mortgage payment holiday, how it works in practice, and how long it takes to process, in this very useful moneyfacts.co.uk article here.   

To help you to communicate effectively with tenants, and work out whether you are eligible for a mortgage payment holiday, you need to be working with a reliable, experienced letting agent embedded in the local community. 

Here at Angels Sales & Lettings, we can offer exactly that. For more information on letting a home in areas like Enfield and Haringey, please get in touch with us on 0800 043 6778. 

To find out how much you could be generating in rent each month, you can request a free and instant online valuation today. 

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