Staying over to maintain a property

Agencies and other headaches, keys and cleaners, running costs and contracts...in short, all the things we spend so much of our time doing behind the scenes.<br>
Clairey
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 6:51 pm

Staying over to maintain a property

Post by Clairey »

Hi
Does anyone know if it's ok to stay over to get a house ready to rent out after 29th March? We bought a house in October but still have so much to do to get it ready as we haven't been able to visit. I can take a COVID test before I go so wouldn't be being irresponsible but not sure if it's allowed.
Many thanks
zebedee
Posts: 1270
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

Hi, the best suggestion came from our Visit England inspector, which was to email the local police to ask permission to stay over.
She told me about Cumbria police calling out and telling an owner to go home following complaints from neighbours. He had the property as a holiday let for over 10 years and was staying over doing work.

We needed to get some work done that has been put off three times over the last year. I emailed the police with the full details of what needed to be done and why. I said we would arrange an online delivery of groceries to avoid going into local shops, and invited them to call around unannounced at any time. The response was positive and we were given permission.

I doubt you would get permission just to tidy the garden! - you might reasonably be expected to delay accepting bookings after 12th April to allow time to finish your preparations. I have not opened up bookings until a couple of weeks later (than 12th April) to give us time to check everything out and address the presentation of the property.
Hope this helps.
SusanMay
Posts: 125
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 6:23 pm
Location: Dorset

Post by SusanMay »

The PASC newsletter has the following:

We manged a get a small update on visiting second homes, still clear as mud...it came from DCMS and can be regarded as official. We are seeking clarification on the overnight bit as it does not say anything about that.
Q: From 29 March: When the stay-at-home rule is lifted, are people allowed to travel to visit/maintain/collect belongings from their caravans on parks although the holiday park would be closed by law? And can owners of a self-catering property visit it ahead of reopening in Step 2 for cleaning and maintenance?
A: From 29 March, people are permitted to travel to visit, maintain, clean and collect belongings from their self-catering properties and their caravans on parks which are currently closed, but people should minimise travel where possible.
We have discussed this with the Tourism Alliance and our take is as follows:
• At the moment, people are legally able to travel and stay away from home for work purposes (one could well argue that maintaining and preparing your business property for customers is a work purpose).
• The Cabinet Office Guidance (which is guidance rather than the law) provides more detail in relation to this by specifying that self-catering operators are able to visit their properties for these purposes from 29th March
• We would therefore take it that operators can visit and stay over in their properties for these work reasons from this date.
• However, this really must be for work purposes, which would not extend to taking the whole family to a second home and have a break from lockdown.
zebedee
Posts: 1270
Joined: Fri Sep 12, 2014 2:57 pm
Location: yorkshire dales

Post by zebedee »

SusanMay wrote:The PASC newsletter has the following:

We manged a get a small update on visiting second homes, still clear as mud...it came from DCMS and can be regarded as official. We are seeking clarification on the overnight bit as it does not say anything about that.
Q: From 29 March: When the stay-at-home rule is lifted, are people allowed to travel to visit/maintain/collect belongings from their caravans on parks although the holiday park would be closed by law? And can owners of a self-catering property visit it ahead of reopening in Step 2 for cleaning and maintenance?
A: From 29 March, people are permitted to travel to visit, maintain, clean and collect belongings from their self-catering properties and their caravans on parks which are currently closed, but people should minimise travel where possible.
We have discussed this with the Tourism Alliance and our take is as follows:
• At the moment, people are legally able to travel and stay away from home for work purposes (one could well argue that maintaining and preparing your business property for customers is a work purpose).
• The Cabinet Office Guidance (which is guidance rather than the law) provides more detail in relation to this by specifying that self-catering operators are able to visit their properties for these purposes from 29th March
• We would therefore take it that operators can visit and stay over in their properties for these work reasons from this date.
• However, this really must be for work purposes, which would not extend to taking the whole family to a second home and have a break from lockdown.
It is the local police who will enforce the regulations.
I am a member of Pasc and took some time to check out whether it not it was legal to travel to my property. I stand by my advice in the post above.
SusanMay
Posts: 125
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2012 6:23 pm
Location: Dorset

Post by SusanMay »

As a matter of interest I'm wondering if this article in The Telegraph from a few days ago helps or muddies the waters further?

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/20 ... -advising/

Easter holiday at second home in UK will be legal – but Downing Street still says ‘don’t do it’
Roadmap says that on March 29 – second part of Step 1 out of lockdown – 'people will no longer be legally required to stay home'

Families who own a second home in Britain can legally stay at them over Easter despite Government guidance against doing so....

And just noticed this article in the same paper today:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/0 ... trictions/

"A number of restrictions remain in place to limit movement, including guidance against people staying away from their main residence overnight. However, a loophole means that families who own second homes can legally stay at them as of Monday.

Campsites and self-contained holiday accommodation remain closed until at least April 12, after the Easter holidays."

I haven't got a subscription to the Telegraph so can't read the original article. Perhaps someone reading this who has could let us know what the loophole is which makes it legal for owners to stay in their second homes from Monday?
Norfolk Canary
Posts: 93
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2016 9:03 am

Post by Norfolk Canary »

The daft thing is that if you employed a third party builder etc to carry out works now they would be allowed to stay away overnight to carry it out. We will be visiting our place over Easter to give it a going over before what looks like a very busy season ahead!
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Cymraes
Posts: 519
Joined: Tue Jul 07, 2015 3:31 pm
Location: North Wales

Post by Cymraes »

The article references Britain when it actually means England!

I am not allowed to travel into Wales to have a holiday at mine until at least the 12th April.

In fact I've had to carry out our reopening work by either running up the M5 each day ( 8 hr, 400 mile round trip) or by staying in a Travelodge on the English side of the border to cut the commute to 1 hour each way. We were allowed to travel to work on the property but expressly forbidden to stay over.

Total madness and another ridiculous diktat by the Welsh Govt. I came into far more contact with people doing this than I would have done if I'd shut myself in the cottage and just got on with it.

Anyway all done and we're ready to welcome our returning guests from today - just a shame we haven't actually got any!
Norfolk Canary
Posts: 93
Joined: Wed Sep 07, 2016 9:03 am

Post by Norfolk Canary »

The daft thing is that if you employed a third party builder etc to carry out works now they would be allowed to stay away overnight to carry it out. We will be visiting our place over Easter to give it a going over before what looks like a very busy season ahead!
Clairey
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Sep 14, 2020 6:51 pm

Post by Clairey »

Thank you for all your replies. It looks like it might be best for me to check with the local Police.

I would only be going the night before so that I can meet the electrician and take deliveries of things that are too big to transport from home. I was going to take my own food so would be completely self-contained. The alternative is to leave at 4 in the morning which I assume is allowable but probably less safe.

I understand that they don't want people swarming to their second homes but that's different to getting a holiday rental ready.

Thanks again :)

Claire
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