Unvaccinated Tenants And House Buyers: What You Need To Know Before Moving
As the UK continues to battle through a wave of Omicron, the property market is seeing some effects. While Covid cases are beginning to decline, many people are still finding themselves testing positive, and for those who aren’t vaccinated, this can mean you may need to change your house-moving plans. Whether you are renting or buying, if you have plans to move home, then there is some key information to keep in mind, especially regarding your vaccination status.
New Guidance For Unvaccinated Tenants From The Department of Levelling Up, Housing And Communities
With many people having questions about the property market and the impact of Covid, the government, through the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, have issued new guidance to provide clarity.
For are unvaccinated tenants, the guidance may change moving plans.
The new guidance states that:
If you are over 18 years and six months of age and haven’t been fully vaccinated and live in a household where someone tests positive for Covid, then you have to stay at home and self-isolate. This means not leaving the property at all, apart from exceptional circumstances.
In terms of property, this means you cannot move house or attend a house viewing while you are at home self-isolating.
Those who are scheduled to move house will have to make alternative plans if someone in their current household tests positive for Covid.
However, for people who are vaccinated, the advice is different.
If you are vaccinated and someone in your household tests positive, you are not legally required to self-isolate. Instead, vaccinated contacts are advised to take a daily lateral flow test for seven days. With this, it means that you can still move house or attend house viewings.
House Moving: What You Need To Know
What’s important to know is that there is now a distinction between those who are vaccinated and unvaccinated. This distinction means that it’s crucial for those looking to move house or attend house viewings to know the difference so they can comply with government recommendations.
While the guidance above is set out by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, every business in the property industry may have additional considerations alongside the guidance, so it is worthwhile checking when working with property businesses.
As well as the differentiation between vaccinated and unvaccinated, the government has set out some recommendations to make the industry as safe as possible, which include:
- Be flexible with moving dates
- Conduct regular hand washing
- Ensure sufficient cleaning
- Sanitising surfaces regularly
- Promote virtual viewings
- Ask tenants to vacate their property during viewings
- Ensure the property is cleaned before viewings/moving.
With specific housing guidance, it is hoped that everyone in the property industry, from agents to conveyancers, has a clearer understanding of the expectations and how they can best serve their clients under the Covid guidelines.
As the government begins to ease Covid restrictions, we can expect this guidance to change, but for now, it is important to consider that self-isolation from positive close contacts may mean there is an increased likelihood of rearranging bookings and changing moving dates. Being aware of this and adding flexibility to your plans can help to ensure the whole process runs smoothly.
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