Monarch explains the potential unnecessary costs of void properties during and after lockdown and how Monarch can help housing associations and social landlords to avoid them.

 If you wish for peace

The COVID-19 pandemic, and subsequent lockdown imposed to prevent its spread, has taken the world almost completely by surprise. Whatever the reason, the UK and the rest of the world was ill-prepared for disruption on this scale and it has exposed many of the frailties within our current political and socio-economic systems.

Among those most affected is the housing market, more specifically landlords since with a large percentage of the population now effectively unemployed, rent payment is obviously threatened. The government has moved to protect tenants by instating a three-month clemency period during which new eviction notices will not be processed.

In addition, there is the heightened concern of void property costs, of course these are not unique to lockdown conditions, they are part of the territory that any responsible building owner must navigate.

However, due to the financial uncertainty and logistical challenges posed by COVID-19, living arrangements based around social distancing chief among them, the benefits of void property management become all the more obvious.

Monarch, in partnership with Scottish and Southern Energy (SSE), takes pride in offering expert support and insight to housing associations seeking to implement a void property management scheme-particularly during this time of crisis.

Use of such a scheme can help you maximise earnings from a property first, by ensuring that you are never paying for utilities needlessly but also in making sure that a residence is ready for occupancy as soon as new tenants are secured. Preparedness of this kind will reduce the risk of properties standing vacant for long periods and property managers being footed with council tax and other costs.

The service guarantees ease of use, with housing associations only ever dealing with a single supplier, all administrative work being handled in-house and a simple 5-step process to set up. Monarch even guarantees a £15 fuel allowance per meter to allow for essential maintenance work.

The Monarch solutions page provides a detailed breakdown of this scheme as well as the unique incentives attached specifically to working with Monarch.