House with Multiple Occupations & Serviced Offices

The British Landlord association raised the awareness at an early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic for UK landlords through the BBC.

Commercial landlords and residential HMO landlords ought to be aware of their responsibilities to ensure they have implemented COVID-19 Infection control in the buildings which they own or manage.

Serviced offices – a building which has several businesses using office space and commonly sharing all office facilities. The main door to these buildings and the common areas including the common facility areas are the responsibilities of the landlord or the management company.

Residential HMO landlords have control over the common areas, tenants have the benefit of using the common areas shared with other renters.

Commercial landlords and HMO landlords should carry out a COVID-19 risk assessment and implement steps to reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection.

Good hygiene in Common areas

It has widely been acknowledged that one of the best ways of preventing transmission of COVID-19 is to make sure proper hygiene is practised where possible, therefore, essential that landlords & property managers consider:

• In the common areas under their control ensuring the availability of handwashing facilities including access to water, soap, and paper towels
• Providing hand sanitiser in addition to washing facilities
• Making visitors & tenants aware of a good hand washing technique
• Providing hand sanitiser in key multiple locations around the building in the common areas
• Setting clear guidance on how to handle goods, merchandise, and materials.

Although it is unlikely that a tenant or a visitor to an HMO or serviced office could sue the landlord or the management company for not taking necessary steps to prevent COVID-19 infection. However, this has been discussed by some lawyers as a topic and none have ruled out the risk that landlords may be exposed to litigation.