Is it safe to conduct a physical showing of a vacant unit?
Prospective tenants have been accustomed to physical tours of a vacant unit to aid in their decision to submit an application. Be sure you understand and comply with state and local directives for business practices before you schedule an appointment for the prospect to tour the unit. The following suggestions may be helpful in developing a rental policy to safely handle a requested in-person tour of a vacant unit.
You should let the prospect know what precautions will be required before conducting a tour of the property and the procedures that will be followed during and after the showing. As examples:
- Showing of the unit will be by appointment only.
- Social distancing guidelines will be in effect during showing and during all contact between landlord and prospect.
- Landlord will call or text prospect from the property to let prospect know the unit surfaces have been cleaned and unit is ready for showing.
- Cleaning protocols will be in effect upon entry to unit; disinfectant wipes and hand sanitizer will be available for the prospect’s use at the property.
- Landlord will request the prospect to follow the policy of wearing a face covering during all contact between landlord and prospect including the property tour.
- Vacant unit will be cleaned and disinfected after prospect showing.
- Rental applications will be available for submission online at landlord’s tenant portal.
However you may wish to give consideration to a different practice for property tours at this time. A virtual property tour is now being used by many landlords using a video conferencing service to conduct a tour of the unit, allow the prospect to ask questions, and proceed with the application process. Instead of an individual virtual property tour, you could post a video of a virtual walk thru of each room in the rental unit to your property website.