Mask wearing in public spaces is now mandatory in my area and many others. Where I live is on a peninsula surrounded by the Atlantic ocean. We have a relatively small population, we have closed boarders to the rest of the world (unless essential). As I write the only cases (a total of 3) are travel related. The challenge is that we rely heavily on tourism an industry which has been decimated by the pandemic, we are also an area that rely on international students, so as our Premier Stephen McNeil has stated we will need to open up our boarders to stimulate the economy. The premier along with Dr. Strang have made mask wearing in public places mandatory. This started on July 31, and I will admit it is a bit challenging getting used to, but not as bad as I thought it would be. The approach of the government is to allow people to get used to it, in case a second wave comes in the fall, people will be used to wearing masks at that point, which will likely pay off for us.
What does this mean for apartment buildings: That is up to interpretation and if you are renting out a condominium, it might be determined by your board. Kevin Russell executive director of IPOANS (An apartment owners association in Nova Scotia) stated the following to his members:
“Chief Public Health Officer, Dr. Robert Strang, made clear that the wearing of masks in apartment buildings is not mandatory in today’s news conference.
Tenants might challenge building staff about the mandatory use of masks as news reports released post new conference did not mention the wearing of masks in apartment buildings not being mandatory.
IPOANS reiterates the importance of posting posters recommending the wearing of masks in common areas.”
What if you live in an area with many or a rising number of cases:
The decision to wear masks in apartment buildings is very localized, so I will share some info from Toronto (Canada) and Philadelphia (USA)
Toronto City Council approved temporary amendments to Chapter 354, Apartment Buildings bylaw in response to COVID-19. The amendments include COVID-19 health and safety measures that need to be taken by apartment building owners and operators, such as providing hand sanitizer in common areas, keeping non-essential common areas closed, cleaning frequently-touched surfaces, and posting Toronto Public Health signage. Visit the RentSafeTO for Building Owner page for full details.
In regards to masks, here is how the guidelines read:
To protect the health and safety of our communities, the City recommends all apartments and condominiums to adopt a mask or face covering policy for common areas of shared residential buildings. Please review the Toronto Public Health guidance documents for commercial and residential buildings. The City has created signage that building operators can print off and display in common areas. A fact sheet on how to properly and safely wear and care for a non-medical mask is also available on the City’s website.
We have all heard lots of stories in the USA about the wild spread of the virus. The Centre for disease control is showing over 4.5 Million cases to date. They are having a bigger challenge due to the large population (especially a very young population). Also the various state, federal and municipal governments cannot seem to all work together to stop the spread. That being said many areas have measures in place to stop the spread.
After all, the general guidance — wear a mask in public — can be confusing: What exactly does public mean? What counts as leaving my home? Does it mean going outside?
Really, what it means is you should cover your nose and mouth when you might come into contact with people who don’t live with you. That’s not just when you’re going to a specific place where people are congregating, such as a store.
And for people who live in apartments or other multi-home buildings, it means wearing a mask when going to common areas where you might run into others.
“If I was in one of those high-rise apartments in the city and I had to go down to the front desk to get a package or mail or whatever, I would wear a mask,” said Thersa Sweet, an epidemiology professor at Drexel University’s Dornsife School of Public Health. “How is that any different from going to a grocery store?”
“That’s because, despite how invasive their noise might be, your neighbors in other units don’t actually share your space. If one of them is sick, or you are, you’re not transferring the virus between each other normally. But you could if you encounter each other in the hallway or other common space.”
It appears from what I am reading that the wearing of masks in common areas such as: hallways, entrances, shared spaces is still at the strong recommendation phase in most areas. It could also be dictated by a condominium board of directors (on behalf of the unit owners). An apartment building owner could try and make it mandatory, however, it could be challenged unless it becomes law.
As landlords and property managers, it is our duty to due the right thing, and I think the popular opinion from many medical professionals is to wear masks. This could make a difference especially in an area with a surplus of apartments to rent. If a person goes to one showing and there are no signs of sanitization or masks, then they go to a viewing at a competitors property and the staff are all wearing masks and sanitizing everything in sight, it may provide a competitive advantage.
As we work through the pandemic, the rules seem to be changing in some cases daily. If there is a massive second wave in Canada, and the cases do not decrease in the USA, masks could end up being mandatory every where.
Until next time,
Design your landlord experience,
Michael P Currie
Landlord by design
Don’t forget to hop over to Amazon to pick up a copy of our book.
0 Comments