Property management companies wear different hats while fulfilling different obligations on behalf of property owners. They handle rent collection, keep the books, and work with vendors to have repairs and maintenance taken care of. They also take legal action when required, such as when a renter breaches the lease or rental agreement and brings in unauthorized tenants or deliberately damages the property. As they fulfill these and other obligations, RentHub Property Management, a leading Dallas Property Management company is having to do things differently thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Before the pandemic, 17 percent of U.S. employees had a work-from-home arrangement where they worked from home for five or more days a week. This percentage has more than doubled to 44 percent following the pandemic, lockdowns and quarantines began. This is according to data published in April 2021.
On the side of Dallas property management companies, these changes have meant more requests for houses that have high-speed Wi-Fi and home offices, apartments that are quiet during the day, and properties within close proximity to plenty of carry-out food options.
These changes have also led to adjustments in how property managers keep their units clean and their residents safe. Keep reading to learn a few of the ways that property management companies are coping with changes as a result of COVID-19.
Property managers have had to rethink how maintenance is done. In units with shared amenities such as elevators, it has become necessary to come up with a way to ensure that they can be used while maintaining the required social distance. Some companies have done this by putting up notices of the number of people allowed in an elevator at a time. Another precaution others have taken is providing hand sanitizers at entry points and disinfecting accessories that different residents commonly touch such as handrails, elevator buttons, and door handles. Property managers have also stepped up cleaning and sanitization measures between visitors as well as when tenants leave.
RentHub Property Management has also gone the extra mile in regard to maintaining high air quality. This is after findings from research conducted by ASHRAE that indicated that air quality has a role to play in containing the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Property managers have stepped up maintenance of HVAC systems to ensure residents enjoy good quality air.
Another study conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) established a definitive correlation between higher levels of humidity and keeping the COVID-19 virus relatively inactive. Keeping relative indoor humidity above 40 percent is a helpful preventative measure.
In order to reinforce social distancing rules, it has been necessary for properties with multi-family units to control who can access the building. Some have adapted the use of electronic key cards at the entrance to ensure only residents can access the building and guests have to be authorized or let in by their hosts. Keeping a log of guests also makes it easier for authorities to conduct contact tracing in the event that a resident or their guest is found to be COVID-19 positive.
Dallas Property management companies have also leveraged technology in the wake of the pandemic. Those who haven't done so already are now collecting rent payments online rather than having renters make payments at a bank. Another trend has been conducting house showings online. This is being done by having renters collect a key and go to see a unit by themselves in self-guided tours or doing virtual house tours. Cleaning and disinfecting in between showings have also been stepped up. Maintenance requests from residents and general communication have all gone virtual as well.
Even after the COVID-19 pandemic passes, it seems that some changes that it has forced will remain as the new normal for property management companies in Dallas. Renters will expect to keep enjoying the speed, convenience, and ease of communicating and transacting online with their property managers. They will also expect rigorous cleaning and sanitization to be maintained and for guests to be vetted and authorized to access a building. It will be the silver lining in the dark COVID-19 pandemic.
Property owners will be glad to know that RentHub Property Management is doing all that it can do to not only fulfill their obligation but also in helping renters with coping with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes a list of organizations that renters can reach out to if they are unable to pay their rent because of the pandemic. If you want to learn more about how our property management experts are helping landlords adjust to these and other changes, contact us today!