Pandemic Best Practices for Property Owners, Managers and Developers

April 03, 2020 Written by Jessica Thesing

As downtown property leaders prepare for the crisis, stabilization and recovery phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, the most important thing we can do for our common health and our collective economic recovery is to follow health advisories for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Preserving our collective health is our primary goal. And it will help us resume the work, payrolls and economic activity vital to downtown Salt Lake City’s future. Below are links and best practices we recently gleaned from commercial real estate leaders.

Protect your stakeholders’ health and safety:

Ensure your sick employees stay home and away from people.
Perform COVID-19 cleaning protocols
Share guidance for employers -- practice and share with tenants.

Considerations to promote cleaner air:

Disinfect the indoor environment daily. Open windows and ventilate frequently.
If possible, use ultraviolet radiation on the cooling coils and drain pans of the air conditioning system.
Where possible, identify separate ascending and descending stairways to assist with social distancing. Enhance ventilation in stairwells.
Run stand-alone air purifiers to further reduce possible contaminated air and air pollutants brought in by natural ventilation.

Take a long-view on tenant lease, rent options and relief:

Often, the key provisions affecting rent abatement in a typical commercial lease are:
- Interruption of Essential Services.
- Casualty.
- Condemnation.
- Force Majeure.

Property owners and occupiers should determine lease provisions’ applicability to the COVID-19 pandemic and key issues such as:
- Access to the Premises: Is the tenant’s premises available for use?
- Governmental Action: Has the tenant’s decision not to occupy the space been caused by government action (i.e. curfew or shelter-in-place order)?
- Essential Services: Is the landlord providing all required services to the tenant (i.e., utilities, HVAC, cleaning, security)?
- Damage: Has there been damage to the premises?
Facilitating a productive dialogue between occupiers and owners around lease provisions, each other’s current circumstances and potential business resolutions will strengthen relationships for a path forward together.

Source: CBRE

Update your emergency management plan and Address:

Infectious disease
Needs of vulnerable occupants
Staff responsible for managing response on property
Staff responsible for managing tenant communications
Updating off-site contact information for tenants.

Publish information resources to tenants:

Create and publish shelter-in-place plans
Explain and reiterate enhanced cleaning procedures in the common areas
Communicate effectively. Be credible. Express empathy. Promote action. Show respect.

Audiences:Communication Channels:Use Verified Sources:

Employees

Your website Coronavirus.utah.gov Tenants Posters Salt Lake County Visitors Elevator, lobby screens Salt Lake City Contractors Telephone and text trees CDC Community Partners Webinars World Health Organization Media Email updates Urban Land Institute

Gather and promote good intel:

Industry leaders are collaborating on webinars and other communications. Stay up-to-date on property leaders’ proactive efforts and responses. Share helpful communications with Downtown Alliance () and we will publish resources to the downtown property community that you can use and share with your employees, customers and tenants.

Stay apprised of local and national financial resources such as:

The historic Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has made available $349 Billion in emergency small business capital through the Small Business Administration.
Salt Lake City’s Emergency Loan Program is intended to help businesses keep their employees and stay afloat during a time of economic hardship.
The Utah Governor’s Office of Economic Development is offering a bridge loan to Utah-based small businesses with 50 or fewer employees impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.