COVID-19 Important Information
A message from the owner of Davidson Estates
In light of the on-going situation relating to COVID-19, it's important to remember that our focus remains on the well-being of our employees, clients, tenants and the wider community.
Our priority is to maintain the highest levels of health and hygiene safety at all times, especially around vulnerable individuals.
Office Closure but Business as Usual
Our offices will be closed from Friday 13th March 2020 until further notice, however all staff would be working as normal from home.
I have tentatively set a date to return to the office on Monday 11th May pending Government guidelines, however this could be extended. It’s very important to be aware that business is running as usual and all of my staff are fit and healthy working from home.
Our main office line, 0121 455 7727, has been diverted to a company mobile number so all calls are answered and processed as normal, and all my staff are still available 9.00 am till 5.30 pm Monday to Friday.
Our main struggle has been conducting viewings, inspections and appraisals where there could be direct contact with other people. We have suspended all property inspections until further notice and informed all landlords and tenants, however depending on how long the crisis lasts, we may request brief video calls with tenants to continue communication with our tenant community.
We are carrying out video appraisals with home occupiers and tenanted properties if the tenants in situ are happy to do so. The appointment is carried out over Zoom and it’s proving very effective.
Our process for viewings is as follows:
1. Arrive early, prepare the property for viewings
2. The prospective tenants are guided where to go when booking the appointment and show themselves around the property
3. Once finished they call the member of staff with feedback
4. The member of staff then returns to the property and locks up
This method is particularly effective with vacant properties, and we have maintained business as usual through this process.
We have also taken videos of every listing which we can send to all prospective tenants prior to the viewing or instead of a viewing.
A hand full of contractors are still operating therefore only emergency call outs are permitted, and all general maintenance may have to wait until government restrictions are relaxed.
Mortgage Lenders
I urge all landlords and homeowners with mortgages in place to contact their mortgage lender to discuss the process should you not be able to pay your mortgage over the foreseeable future during the Covid-19 crisis. For example, this could be down to a loss of employment or your tenant has not paid the rent.
The government have announced a 3-month mortgage freeze period and buy-to-let mortgages are included in this.
Rent Arrears
It was announced in March that if tenants did not pay their rent then they would not be evicted during this difficult time. This does not mean tenants will get a rent-free period! If they do not pay their rent, their debt will accrue and cause them even more difficulties down the line so it’s in their interest to maintain their rental payments as much as possible.
Our accounts team has been extremely busy liaising with our tenants that have been effected by the crisis and in some cases arranging payment plans, however I can assure you we will be on top of all rental income and accounts queries across the board.
Staff
I have also taken the decision to retain all Director members of staff throughout this crisis to uphold the level of service we provide you and to offer assurance that we are here to assist you regarding your property/s and/or for any advice you are seeking.
We know these are worrying times and we really hope we can assist the best we can. But for now, the most important thing is to keep you, and your family safe.
If you’d like to talk to us about anything, our team leader contact details are as follows:
Name: Ben Davidson
Position: Owner and Company Director
Roles: Management, Investments, New Build and Accounting
Phone Number: 07834 561537
Email: Ben.davidson@davidsonestates.co.uk
Name: Melissa Petros
Position: Sales and Lettings Director
Roles: Residential Lettings, Residential Sales, Valuations and Viewings
Phone Number: 07957 139656
Email: Melissa.petros@davidsonestates.co.uk
Name: Andrew Love
Position: Property Management Director
Roles: Property Management, Maintenance, Furniture and Refurbishment
Phone Number: 07957 139652
Email: Andrew.love@davidsonestates.co.uk
Thank you for your understanding and support during this period.
N.B this page will be updated each time there is a change in government guidelines or company policy during the Coronavirus crisis.
Our priority is to maintain the highest levels of health and hygiene safety at all times, especially around vulnerable individuals.
Office Closure but Business as Usual
Our offices will be closed from Friday 13th March 2020 until further notice, however all staff would be working as normal from home.
I have tentatively set a date to return to the office on Monday 11th May pending Government guidelines, however this could be extended. It’s very important to be aware that business is running as usual and all of my staff are fit and healthy working from home.
Our main office line, 0121 455 7727, has been diverted to a company mobile number so all calls are answered and processed as normal, and all my staff are still available 9.00 am till 5.30 pm Monday to Friday.
Our main struggle has been conducting viewings, inspections and appraisals where there could be direct contact with other people. We have suspended all property inspections until further notice and informed all landlords and tenants, however depending on how long the crisis lasts, we may request brief video calls with tenants to continue communication with our tenant community.
We are carrying out video appraisals with home occupiers and tenanted properties if the tenants in situ are happy to do so. The appointment is carried out over Zoom and it’s proving very effective.
Our process for viewings is as follows:
1. Arrive early, prepare the property for viewings
2. The prospective tenants are guided where to go when booking the appointment and show themselves around the property
3. Once finished they call the member of staff with feedback
4. The member of staff then returns to the property and locks up
This method is particularly effective with vacant properties, and we have maintained business as usual through this process.
We have also taken videos of every listing which we can send to all prospective tenants prior to the viewing or instead of a viewing.
A hand full of contractors are still operating therefore only emergency call outs are permitted, and all general maintenance may have to wait until government restrictions are relaxed.
Mortgage Lenders
I urge all landlords and homeowners with mortgages in place to contact their mortgage lender to discuss the process should you not be able to pay your mortgage over the foreseeable future during the Covid-19 crisis. For example, this could be down to a loss of employment or your tenant has not paid the rent.
The government have announced a 3-month mortgage freeze period and buy-to-let mortgages are included in this.
Rent Arrears
It was announced in March that if tenants did not pay their rent then they would not be evicted during this difficult time. This does not mean tenants will get a rent-free period! If they do not pay their rent, their debt will accrue and cause them even more difficulties down the line so it’s in their interest to maintain their rental payments as much as possible.
Our accounts team has been extremely busy liaising with our tenants that have been effected by the crisis and in some cases arranging payment plans, however I can assure you we will be on top of all rental income and accounts queries across the board.
Staff
I have also taken the decision to retain all Director members of staff throughout this crisis to uphold the level of service we provide you and to offer assurance that we are here to assist you regarding your property/s and/or for any advice you are seeking.
We know these are worrying times and we really hope we can assist the best we can. But for now, the most important thing is to keep you, and your family safe.
If you’d like to talk to us about anything, our team leader contact details are as follows:
Name: Ben Davidson
Position: Owner and Company Director
Roles: Management, Investments, New Build and Accounting
Phone Number: 07834 561537
Email: Ben.davidson@davidsonestates.co.uk
Name: Melissa Petros
Position: Sales and Lettings Director
Roles: Residential Lettings, Residential Sales, Valuations and Viewings
Phone Number: 07957 139656
Email: Melissa.petros@davidsonestates.co.uk
Name: Andrew Love
Position: Property Management Director
Roles: Property Management, Maintenance, Furniture and Refurbishment
Phone Number: 07957 139652
Email: Andrew.love@davidsonestates.co.uk
Thank you for your understanding and support during this period.
N.B this page will be updated each time there is a change in government guidelines or company policy during the Coronavirus crisis.