Sign before viewing

Tenant Discussion
1

ENGLANDTo keep it short - my girlfriend and I have had a “virtual viewing” which was a pre recorded video of a property.

The current tenants move out on the 28th, we cannot see the property physically before this because of COVID. We have a physical viewing on the 29th march and the move in date is the 5th of april

We’ve now been sent the tenancy agreement by the letting agents and are being asked to sign it before physically viewing the property

They say it’s mandatory we sign by in 48 hours (10/03/2021), it’s unjust that we sign this before physically viewing to do our checks for things such as property condition, plumbing, heating, smoke alarms.

Are they doing anything wrong?

2

do not do it nothing beats going into a place

3 Likes
3

They are putting you under duress. That’s a red flag in itself.
Stand your ground.

2 Likes
4

I’ve never heard of anything so ridiculous! I would never ask anyone to sign an STA before viewing.

2 Likes
5

Why cant you do a viewing? As long as the current tenants have stepped out of the property for 15 minutes, what is the problem?

6

COVID virology is not that simple.
You are walking into a massive viral load and it does not clear for at least two to three hours from the air
You don’t want visitors touching stuff eg door handles
You don’t know who is an asymptomatic carrier
Realistically the risk is greater to a visitor walking into an unventilated property ( even with a mask) than there is to the household
But if the incomer touches something it’s a risk eg if he/she is an asymptomatic carrier
In these times virtual viewings are the way forward