Ensure Resident Safety During the COVID-19 Outbreak

Your residents have always been your number one priority, but as COVID-19 continues to impact virtually every aspect of our daily lives, it is even more imperative to ensure the health and safety of your residents. Across the United States, millions of Americans have been mandated to stay-at-home or shelter-in-place to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Here are five tips to ensure the safety and happiness of your residents as they spend more time than ever at home.

Clean Frequently and Intentionally 

According to the CDC, the best way to prevent contracting COVID-19 is to avoid being exposed to this virus. To ensure resident safety, building management should ensure higher-frequency cleaning and disinfecting of surfaces to prevent exposure to the virus. The CDC recommends cleaning and disinfecting high-touch surfaces daily. Pay especially close attention to shared spaces that come in contact with several people a day such as elevators, mailbox rooms, laundry rooms, and other areas that cannot be easily closed off. 

Implement a Dropbox for Physical Rent Payments

Allow residents to make rent payments via a secure dropbox. This reduces person-to-person contact for both residents and your office staff. An alternative to a physical rent box is allowing residents to slide payments underneath a securely locked leasing or residential office door. Additionally, building supervisors can make arrangements to allow residents to pay rent online or over the phone in addition to collecting physical payment.

Close Nonessential Shared Spaces

Unlike mailbox rooms and laundry rooms, common areas such as pools and clubhouses do not provide essential services and should be closed immediately. Closing these facilities will not only assist in social distancing but will allow for essential spaces, such as elevators and mailrooms, to be cleaned more frequently. If possible, do not charge amenity fees in resident’s monthly rent payments. Easing any financial burdens during a time where millions of people have filed for unemployment, can potentially solidify retention rates as residents feel taken care of and appreciated.

Communicate with Residents 

In times of uncertainty, communication is vital. Ensuring residents are aware of all the precautions put in place by the building staff to keep them safe. As well as informing residents of the steps they should take to ensure the safety of themselves and their loved ones. 

Keep Yourself Informed on Policy Changes that Impact Your Residents

The CARES Act includes a number of relief programs that have an impact on the affordable housing industry at-large, including increased supplemental HUD funding and forbearance of loan payments for multifamily borrowers. The most crucial change that directly impacts your residents is a Temporary Moratorium on Eviction Filings on federal housing rental programs. To ensure families are not displaced during the coronavirus outbreak, landlords are prohibited from pursuing legal action in response to nonpayment of rent as well as prohibiting any charges or penalties related to non-payment or late payments. 

For a more detailed look at the CARES Act and its effects on affordable housing, check out our Breakdown of How the CARES Act Impacts the Affordable Housing Industry.