New guidance on house moves for un-vaccinated buyers and tenants

The government is clamping down - at least a little - on unvaccinated buyers and tenants in some specific circumstances. 

New guidelines issued by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities say that…

...if a buyer or tenant is aged 18 years and six months or more;

...is not fully vaccinated; and 

...if they live in the same household as someone who has tested positive for Covid 

…then they must legally stay at home and self-isolate.

This would even be during the period when they would have been scheduled to have moved home.

However the guidance goes on to say that if a buyer or tenant is fully vaccinated, or aged less than 18 years and six months, they are not legally required to self-isolate even if they live in the same household as someone with Covid.

In this case the new guidance says: “You are strongly advised to take a Lateral Flow Device test every day for seven days, and to self-isolate if any of these test results is positive.”

This is the first time since the start of the pandemic that the official guidance on house moves makes a distinction between the vaccinated and the unvaccinated buyer or tenant.

The new guidance goes on to say: “We urge everyone involved in the home buying and selling process to continue to follow good hygiene practices, including regular hand-washing, sanitising, and cleaning. These measures will help prevent the spread of infection.

“We encourage all parties involved to be as flexible as possible and be prepared to delay moves, for example if one of those involved becomes ill with Covid-19 during the moving process or has to self-isolate.”

The new government statement also reiterates previous advice when it says: “Property agents, conveyancers and other professionals may choose to retain some modifications to how they work to reduce the risk from Covid-19. These changes could impact your move and may include initial virtual viewings before in-person viewings, asking you to vacate your current property during viewings, and ensuring your property is thoroughly cleaned before someone else views it or moves in. We would ask that you cooperate with these measures where they are in place.”

You can see the updated guidance here.