As Ireland transitions to the final stages of the Government’s Roadmap for Re-opening Society and Business, some of the short term impacts for businesses are starting to surface however it will be some time before long term impacts can be evaluated.
Property Management has long prepared for a whole host of different eventualities from protests, fires to weather damage however from when Covid-19 entered our daily lives, we have had to face an unprecedented situation like no other. From the first known European case in Northern Italy, all European Property Management teams across the BNP Paribas Real Estate network have been implementing measures across all our client’s buildings which focused around cleaning and sanitizations programmes.
With business’ returning to work in Ireland, some of the initial Covid-19 orchestrated costs have become clear and can be identified in 2 areas, 1) Covid-19 once off costs and 2) ongoing operational costs. As a result of these measures, tenants and landlords were forced to adapt their businesses meaning Property Management became an even more central figure and becoming a hub of vital information but also a focal point for both landlords and tenants communications. Throughout the crisis, Property Management teams have also overseen building costs budgets and maintaining health measures throughout buildings. All of the above has meant property managers taking the lead in advising our clients and other stakeholders in the most appropriate structures that needed to be put in place in order to facilitate a safe return for tenants to their buildings.
All properties are unique and differ in terms of their size, nature of use, proportion of common areas, variety of services available and their use by their tenants. All these factors play an important role in determining the appropriate measures to be implemented.
Business owners have had to re-configure work spaces to allow for social distancing and one way entry & exit systems for staff and customers. In additions to this, the introduction of PPE equipment for staff including Perspex screen, face mask/ covers, hand sanitizers and gloves have all increased business’s operations costs coupled with their logistical problems which require monitoring.
Landlords have also had to review the building’s layout with multiple stairwells being utilised as options for one way systems for staff to use so to achieve social distancing in confined areas. With this, use of the building’s lifts have been restricted to 1 person permitted at any time. These measures whilst essential have placed pressure on each building’s demands and will lead to a review of how landlord and their design team re-configure existing buildings but also in the future as to new buildings’ construction and layout.
No matter what the tenant activity being carried out in a building or it’s use, each building has seen changes. Before coming back to the office, the Property Manager, in conjunction with the landlord and tenant, have thought carefully about the new organisation, particularly in terms of where people come into contact with one another and how 100% fresh air is circulated. Questions such as ‘are there ways to avoid people touching things in buildings?; Can people move around using a swipe card?; Can doors be opened automatically? will be raised by all parties involved in the building so each part of the building needs to be carefully considered, particularly the 3 ‘Ls’, Lobbies, Lifts and Loos.
Across Europe, BNP Paribas Real Estate Property Management teams have produced guidelines. A centralised approach to this along with localised adjustments, has allowed property managers to address each problem with a fitting solution. The adoption of such solutions varies between countries and budgets. Thanks to our recent experiences concerning the reopening of buildings and the slowing down of the spread of the virus in Ireland, landlords have stayed pragmatic when it comes to applying measures to safeguard tenants.
As we accept a new normality in our offices during this crisis in terms of how we move around, this will affect how we analyse our buildings. Whilst we had a solid idea of this during and as we are progressing through the crisis, these habits are evolving and will change. Again, this will only lead to landlords and their design teams re-thinking how buildings are built.
With this comes flexibility and working from home being the stand out change in both employee and employer mind-sets. Remote working will impact how we plan our offices but also how leases are structured in order to be more adaptive. The crisis has forced us to adapt quickly to a situation that was completely new to us and has shown how agile and responsive both landlord and tenants have been throughout. This has been vital as we traverse this situation and will solidify the position of the Property Management profession for the future.
The core role of a property manager is the relationship link between landlord and tenant and ensuring both achieve their goals out of the lease agreement. Covid-19 has tested this with the property manager’s presence remaining as a key component in maintaining the relationship between both and finding a resolution which meets all parties’ goals.
With Ireland progressing onto the final phase of re-opening the economy, both landlords and tenants are implementing and refining their re-opening plans to staff, ensuring staff safety is the top priority. This has resulted in employers staggering staff numbers returning to work to ensure adequate social distancing can be achieved. Employers who have received consultancy advice on both their re-opening plans but also their work space layout have been able to hit the ground running with a smooth transition for staff returning to work.
As no two buildings are the same, landlords who have consulted with BNP Paribas Real Estate have been able to proactively meet HSE guidelines limiting disruption to staff BNP Paribas Real Estate have a dedicated Workplace Solutions team within our Property Management Department working with landlords and tenants alike to assist in constructing their return to work plans and we would be delighted to provide assistance and advise on implementing such plans.