At last week’s town hall on COVID-19 in Tantramar, one of the questions posed from a community member had to do with landlords, and what they would do if a student tenant is diagnosed with COVID-19.
Local landlord John Lafford was on the panel and took on the question.
“The short answer would be for us to get ahold of the major stakeholders and community. You know, contact public health. But I think those things are already going to be done before the landlord gets the news.”
Lafford says he has been communicating with his tenants to make sure they are informed about the protocols in place.
“We also started to do a little bit thinking of our own facility, and how we can prepare our own facility or own buildings for the incoming students. So what we’ve done is we’ve put hand sanitizing stations in each building. We’ve put some great signage that the university has helped us with. So things like that.”
Lafford Realty has also sent a number of emails to tenants, offering re-worded versions of New Brunswick’s self-isolation protocols, and informing tenants that if they are self-isolating, they are restricted from using common areas of buildings such as laundry rooms.
One email on August 28th even asked tenants to “eliminate gatherings for the next month.”
According to Service New Brunswick’s COVID information line, landlords have the right to restrict access to common areas of buildings based on self-isolation protocols, in order to protect the other tenants in an apartment building.
However, landlords don’t have the authority to restrict people from gathering in their homes.
Lafford told the panel that while speed is the key in responding to COVID outbreaks, communication with tenants to make sure they are informed about COVID rules has been his main strategy.
“But I think if this does peek its head, we have to be very, very diligent. No-one should be ashamed of this COVID-19. We should work together–work quick, work swift. And I think that would be the critical piece. But once again, the communication that we’ve been doing all summer has prepared the kids for this.”
