Summary

  • Our office is now closed to Clients and the Public.

  • Pay Rent by Bank Transfer where possible.

  • Contact us only by E-Mail where possible.

  • Emergency repairs & maintenance only.

  • Contact us if you expect to have trouble paying your rent.

 

From now on, and until further notice, we are closing our office to clients and members of the public. We are doing this in line with the general public policy of social distancing to try and curb the current pandemic. We may also have to close our office fully in the near future, which will restrict our communications and access to essential files. This will have an impact on our services to you as agents, and we ask that you take note of the following advice:

Paying Rent

Those who currently pay their rent in cash in our Glengormley office will have to make alternative arrangements. The best option is paying by bank transfer directly into our account, using the first line of your address as a reference.        

Please do not send cheques in the post, as our business mail may be disrupted during this time. If you need further advice, please phone, or ideally e-mail us.

Communications

We operate an IP phone system, which normally can handle several callers at once, however, in these unprecedented times these systems have been intermittently failing, and may not be easily configured for staff working from home. If you do need to contact us, please do so via e-mail:

info@abartoncompany.co.uk

This will insure your message will get to us, and a record of it will be on file.

If you have no access to the internet or e-mail you can still call by telephone.  If we do not answer the call, you will be connected to a message service. Please leave a message with the details of your issue and we will get back to you. These messages are sent automatically to our e-mail account.

If you did not also receive this letter by e-mail, then we do not have a current e-mail address for you. Please send us an e-mail to the above address with your name, address and any other contact information, so we can contact you more easily and keep you regularly updated with developments.

Repairs and Maintenance

As stated in our previous communication, for the duration of the immediate crisis, we shall be restricting all repair and maintenance requests to emergency issues only. However, please do contact us (through the above e-mail address ideally) with any issues, and we will attempt to prioritise the most essential and note all others for future action. We would appreciate your forbearance at this time.

Financial Difficulties

Due to the current crisis you may find yourself, through no fault of your own, in financial difficulties and unable to pay some or all your rent and other bills.

The Government has instituted a series of measures designed to protect your jobs and finances during the pandemic. If your employer cannot cover your costs due to the pandemic they may be able to access support to continue paying part of your wage, to avoid redundancies. If your salary is reduced as a result of these changes or you lose your job, you may be eligible for support through the welfare system, including Universal Credit on 0800 012 1331.

Ultimately if you are unable to pay your rent in full and on time, we will deal with that situation as sensitively as possible. The government have confirmed that the 3 month mortgage payment holiday previously announced will be extended to landlords whose tenants are experiencing financial difficulties due to the virus. This will alleviate the pressure on landlords, who will be concerned about meeting mortgage payments themselves, and will mean no unnecessary pressure is put on you as a result.

At the end of this period, we expect to work together with you, to establish an affordable repayment plan, taking into account your individual circumstances.

If you will be unable to pay all or part of your rent, please contact us as soon as possible, so we can inform your Landlord to prepare for any delays.

By the time you receive this notice, our office may already be closed and our staff operating from home, where possible.  Please look after yourselves and your families, and follow government advice to stay at home unless exceptionally necessary.