Skip to main content

Common Sense

Some Common Sense Advice for Building Managers during COVID-19

If you manage a complex, you may be feeling concerned about how to protect your business and communicate with your owners, landlords & tenants in these stressful times. Here are some tips from an industry professional.

Greg Jorgensen has worked in the management rights industry since 2005, owned three Brisbane MLR’s, owned Australian Valuers – the largest MLR Valuation firm in the country when he sold out in 2015 and now the Founder and Principal at Management Rights Brokers Australia.

Based on industry knowledge and research, I’ve pulled together some advice for management rights owners during the period of high uncertainty.

As someone who owns the management & letting rights to a complex, I’m sure you are concerned about how the 2020 COVID-19 virus will affect you, both economically and in terms of protecting the people you work closely with.

Being a professional who interacts with a wide range of folk who either own or want to own a management rights business has prompted me to put together some advice for anybody feeling overwhelmed by the current situation.

Being mindful that things are changing daily, take a look at some general steps for management rights owners as we stand in mid-March.

Make a plan

While we are all hoping for the best, we must prepare for the worst, or somewhere near that position. Call a regular meeting (or video conference to be on the safe side) with the decision-makers in your complex to discuss upgrading health and safety measures around the building.

Start working on emergency health policies and on a plan to keep all residents and landlords informed. One resource you can refer to is your state Residential Tenancies Authority. Here are some helpful links:

You may also wish to speak to your Body Corporate and landlords about forming a financial hardship plan. The virus is causing extraordinary circumstances, with many people potentially losing their livelihoods, however we must assume at this stage that the loss will only be temporary. There are already measures being put in place about suspending forced evictions, as discussed in this media release: https://www.medianet.com.au/releases/185401/.

Another topic of discussion is what would happen in the event of a national quarantine. While at the time of writing this is not being presented as an imminent response to the crisis, it is worth thinking about how you would go about managing a two-week period with all your tenants at home. Keep an eye on reliable media sources like the ABC for updates and information about this taking place.

Being prepared in these circumstances means being constantly vigilant, reviewing advice and staying flexible and recommendations change.

Communication is key

Being a building manager can be overwhelming enough but current events are placing additional pressure on you and more than ever.

Firstly, communication is a priority. Most trust accounting software allows you to email all residents within your complex, so make sure you keep in touch.

Be selective about which messages you share with tenants, what you say to landlords and what you communicate. Unless there is a reason to be concerned, be reassuring and remind everyone the importance of being vigilant but not panicking.

While it may seem like information is everywhere, not everyone is following every word in the media. Another recommendation is to contact your tenants and remind them of the precautions they should be taking, including isolating themselves if they feel unwell, washing their hands, avoiding touching their face and thinking about stocking up on a few essential, just-in-case items, without going overboard.

Encourage your tenants to support each other and to remember to be calm and kind. Ask them to notify you if there is an elderly or disabled person within the premises who may require help.

It is also important your tenants communicate with you. Send out a request that if anyone is diagnosed with COVID-19 or suspects they have the virus to please notify you via phone or email immediately.

Should this be the case, it will then be your job to advise the committee and your Body Corporate Manager so a response can quickly be developed. This may include extra sanitising and cleaning around the building, a potential lock-down period or postponing visits from tradespeople who do not provide essential services.

Your duty of care

You likely have a duty of care to notify all residents if there is a confirmed case within the complex.

Should this happen, don’t mention names or unit numbers. Be selective in your wording to remind your tenants what to do without causing alarm. The virus is only believed to be spread through close contact so there is no reason to panic. Resources from your local health authority will be helpful, e.g:

  • https://www.health.qld.gov.au/
  • https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx
  • https://www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/

If one of your tenants does come down with the virus, email or call them every couple of days for an update but don’t harass them.

If you are aware that this person has no family, friends or outside help close by, you may find yourself as one of the few people who can offer support.  Of course you should not jeopardise your own health but think ahead of time how you can do this, for example, being a point of contact for medical professionals or helping by ordering food to be brought to their home. How you respond to an unwell resident is a decision you need to make for yourself or along with other body corporate members but do so in accordance with current advice from medical authorities.

Should an outbreak occur, keep in constant contact with your body corporate manager and committee. The policies you put in place will need to be activated and potentially revised.

While things are changing every day, in Australia we are hopeful that the worst-case-scenario will not eventuate. If you’d like to talk to me about staying on top of your role as a building manager during this crisis, I’m happy to chat and share my thoughts.

About the author

Greg Jorgensen is a management & letting rights professional Broker.  He provides outstanding customer service to clients in Brisbane and surrounding areas who are looking to purchase or sell management rights.  Contact him on 0407 721 335 to find out more.

DISCLAIMER: This is general advice only. If there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in your building, contact your relevant health authorities for specific and up to date information on how to respond.

Stay well.

Greg Jorgensen

Want the latest updates? Subscribe to our Blog and or our Newsletter for insights and new listings.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.