So much information going around at the moment relating to the current outbreak. Interested to hear what everyone is doing.
Are you still doing routine inspections with added precautions, are you having staff work from home, what about viewings and trades entering properties?
Hi Lee,
Grazy times!
At Wendellâs in Auckland, we have initiated our Disaster Protocols. I realize this is a drastic measure, out logic is better to go to one end of the bookmark early, and then slowly un-wind rather than the other way around.
In the office
Front door open. Pump of sanitizer on entry â reception to ask for this. Sign on door to encourage it. And at reception.
Signs in washrooms and anti-bacterial Dettol soap.
White doors closed. â only staff to enter. Staff on the opposite side must sanitize before they enter.
Accounts â keep doors closed too â same process.
Email warning â office is closed â Access by appointment only.
***** Please notify us IMMEDIATELY if you have traveled in the last 14 days outside of New Zealand, or to any of the COVID-19 affected areas inside New Zealand. Our team, and our tenants, as well as your safety, are paramount and all viewings will be delayed for anyone in this situation.**
Email Signature:
**Due to COVID-19 outbreak Wendell Property office is open by appointment only. If you or you live with someone who has traveled to any infected areas, please understand we will not be able to meet you face to face and we apologize for this inconvenience. *****
Inspections
All routine inspections canceled until end of March when we will re-assess and will continue to do so weekly.
Entry â vacant and therefore âsaferâ. Follow 12-hour protocols.
Letting
Be guided by the tenant who is living in the home â if they are comfortable with people coming in to the property (discuss this verbally, email them confirmation).
Perspective tenants to be shown through in 5min intervals, with signage and entrance. Please do not allow prospective tenants to open any doors, etc. Ensure that the incumbent tenants wipe down the property on their return even if you do so for them at the time.
FAQs â
Bottom of Trademe ads, beef up notifcation in all Advertising, and in the line in the template from viewing tracker.
Letter of offer â notification in there too. DocuSign all paperwork instead of in office signing.
Owner correspondence
Cancelling all inspections in the foreseeable future.
Letting
Canceling all inspections in the immediate short term effective today.
Team
Not an excuse to do less
On phones â calming people down, itâs a pandemic but you donât want to worry people more than they already are, we just want to ensure peopleâs health and safety.
Be cautious of people living in your home/ exposure to things outside of work. Option to work from home.
Media
Social media tiles, website, and blog to come from Nat & team.
Tradespeople
Hold work orders, re-send only urgent works to the tradespeople once the incumbent tenants have approved access. Only trades following the âApproved Protocolsâ are allowed to access the properties.
Letters COVID-19.docx (19.7 KB)
Attached are all of our draft template letters we are sending out to all clients, tenants, trades & landlords.
Feel free to copy, or borrow anything in here which is helpful! Good luck, and what a time to be a property manager! 
Thanks for sharing - wow, ok, time to have another think haha. We havenât gone as far as cancelling inspections, however we are asking to be notified if anyone has recently returned from overseas, is unwell or in quarantine so that these inspections can be rescheduled.
For inspections that are being completed, staff are taking added measures with hand sanitiser and not touching anything as well as gloves for opening doors etc if need be.
Thankfully the properties we are advertising are all vacant which makes things a bit easier for now.
I have also cancelled all meetings though for the foreseeable future and also âclosedâ the office.
Clearly lots more to consider and think about to thank you for sharing!
Awesome thank you
Thank you for sharing
THANKS, very helpful information
New Zealand seems to be so far in front of Australian. Thanks Ashley
Haha⌠Thanks Colleen, I would not say that!
NZ has just moved to a full mandatory lockdown as of Mid-night Wednesday. This means that we are having make a plan for tenancyâs starting during this period etc.
Fun side note, last week @ Wendellâs we have a trial running with âSmart Locksâ on several properties coming off Reno, which will mean that we can give tenants one-off individual access without having to be at the property. https://www.yalelock.co.nz/en/products/keyless-entry/electronic-digital-door-locks/assure-lock/ But its no good if everyone is in lockdown like we are now! HahaâŚ
Hope youâre keeping safe!
I love the idea of the smart locks. So you are installing them permanently on the properties?
This is more of a permanent system and not a temporary one for open homes?
In the US they are doing self guided tours and I wasnât sold on the idea