9th
Apr 2021
Housing Minister Christopher Pincher says that under no circumstances landlords should demand potential tenants to take a Covid test before being allowed in a property.
The statement by Pincher was in response to Labour’s deputy chief whip Alan Campbell’s written question asking for further information on the subject.
The MP for Tynemouth told an industry website: “We tabled the question because a constituent who is a landlord got in touch. I didn’t think the guidance was clear so we thought we would get clarification.”
The government’s guidance is quite specific stating that agents and landlords must be aware that some renters, “may still want to exercise caution and should respect this when engaging with their tenants”.
But when the situation is reversed to cautious agents and landlords having to carry out repairs or making inspections – the same forethought is apparently not relevant.
The MP’s landlord constituent asked him whether his tenants should be told they must take a Covid test prior to carrying out safety checks in his property.
The Minister replied: “Landlords can take steps to carry out repairs and safety inspections, including routine and essential inspections and repairs, as well as any planned internal works to the property under the national lockdown which is in force in England.
“But only provided these are undertaken in line with guidance for people working in other people’s homes and the relevant coronavirus (COVID-19) legislation.
Although the government’s guidance admits that under the current restrictions will make it harder to carry out routine and essential maintence issues, but tells landlords that they must do their utmost to carry out work or inspections in their properties.
However the government also says that landlords should not be unfairly penalised because of the pandemic’s restrictions which may have stopped them from carrying out their routine duties.
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