Guidance

Moving home during coronavirus (COVID-19)

Guidance for those working within the home buying and selling process and those moving home.

From:
Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (2018 to 2021)
Published
22 July 2021
Last updated
28 January 2022 — See all updates

This guidance was withdrawn on

The government has published its plan for living with COVID-19. This means:

From 24 February

  • You will no longer be legally required to self-isolate if you test positive for COVID-19. New guidance will advise people who test positive to stay at home and avoid contact with other people.
  • You will no longer be legally required to self-isolate if you are an unvaccinated close contact, and will no longer be advised to test for 7 days if you are a fully vaccinated close contact. New guidance will set out precautions for reducing risk to yourself and others.

Applies to England

This guidance provides advice to those working within the home buying and selling process and those moving home. Read it alongside the guidance on what you should do to keep safe.

The housing market in England is open. This means that people looking to move home can both continue with planned moves and view new properties to move into in the future. Estate and letting agents, removers, valuers, and people in sales and letting offices and show homes can continue working. Everyone should follow the guidance below to keep themselves and others safe.

General advice to industry and those moving home

We urge everyone involved in the home buying and selling process to continue to follow good hygiene practices, including regular hand-washing, sanitising, and cleaning. These measures will help prevent the spread of infection.

We encourage all parties involved to be as flexible as possible and be prepared to delay moves, for example if one of those involved becomes ill with COVID-19 during the moving process or has to self-isolate.

How businesses can mitigate risk

All businesses should follow the government’s latest guidance for employers and businesses. Individual sector bodies may issue their own supplementary guidance in order to protect their members and their clients.

Working from home

The government is no longer asking people to work from home if they can. People should now talk to their employers to agree arrangements to return to the office.

Face coverings

There is no longer a legal requirement to wear a face covering. The government suggests that you continue to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you may come into contact with other people you do not normally meet. For more information please see the guidance on face coverings which can be found here.

Other measures

Property agents, conveyancers and other professionals may choose to retain some modifications to how they work to reduce the risk from COVID-19. These changes could impact your move and may include initial virtual viewings before in-person viewings, asking you to vacate your current property during viewings, and ensuring your property is thoroughly cleaned before someone else views it or moves in. We would ask that you cooperate with these measures where they are in place.

The government has provided detailed guidance on reducing the risk of COVID-19 in workplaces. Employers should consider this guidance when completing their health and safety risk assessment, to help them decide which mitigations to put in place.

Private rented and social housing sectors

Those renting a property, letting agents and landlords should be aware of and follow the government guidance on coronavirus and renting which contains further advice that may also be applicable such as on possession proceedings, repairs, maintenance and health and safety.

Self-isolating and quarantine

If you have COVID-19 symptoms you should stay at home and self-isolate immediately. You should arrange to have a PCR test as soon as possible. If this PCR test result is positive, you must continue to self-isolate.

If you do not have COVID-19 symptoms, but you have a positive PCR test result, you must stay at home and self-isolate.

If you live in the same household as someone with COVID-19 you are at significantly higher risk of becoming infected yourself.

If you have been vaccinated with a COVID-19 vaccine, you are less likely to become severely ill if you catch COVID-19. You are also less likely to spread COVID-19 to other people, but it is still possible for this to happen.

Therefore:

  • if you are aged 18 years 6 months or over and you are not fully vaccinated, and you live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, you are legally required to stay at home and self-isolate
  • if you are fully vaccinated or aged under 18 years and 6 months, and you live in the same household as someone with COVID-19, you are not legally required to self-isolate. However, you are strongly advised to take an Lateral Flow Device (LFD) test every day for 7 days, and to self-isolate if any of these test results is positive

It is now possible to end self-isolation on the sixth day, following 5 full days isolating and 2 consecutive negative LFD tests taken 24 hours apart. The first LFD test should not be taken before the fifth day. The self-isolation period remains 10 full days for those without negative results from 2 LFD tests taken a day apart.

Anyone who has a positive LFD or PCR test should not take another PCR test within 90 days of this result unless:

  • you develop any new main symptoms of COVID-19
  • you are required to take a PCR test upon entry into the UK
  • you have a positive LFD test result and need to take a PCR test in order to claim the Test and Trace Support Payment

If you have a positive test result within 90 days of a previous positive LFD or PCR test result you must stay at home, self-isolate, and follow the stay at home guidance.

You should not expect to immediately be able to move into any home where people have COVID-19 or are self-isolating. There is a greater risk that home moves may need to be delayed if someone in the transaction shows symptoms of COVID-19 or is self-isolating.

The following key general protections continue to apply both to those moving home and those working in the industry:

Managing uncertainty

All parties involved in home buying and selling should prioritise agreeing amicable arrangements to change completion dates where someone in a chain or their family member is self-isolating or has tested positive for coronavirus.

Once you have exchanged contracts or signed a tenancy agreement, you have entered into a legal agreement to purchase or rent the property. We encourage all parties to be as flexible as possible and be prepared to delay moves if necessary; for example if someone involved in the transaction becomes ill with COVID-19 during the moving process, or has to self-isolate.

If you are about to enter into a legally binding contract, you should discuss the possible implications of COVID-19 with your legal professional and consider making contractual provisions or other necessary measures to manage these risks.

Coming into close contact with other people

We continue to urge caution and personal responsibility in situations involving physical contact with others.

Viewings

Aside from self-isolation rules as detailed above, there are no legal limits on the households which may view a home in person. We would, however, continue to recommend that buyers take advantage of any opportunities to view homes remotely before committing to view in person.

There is no longer a legal requirement to wear a face covering. The government suggests that you continue to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you may come into contact with other people you do not normally meet. For more information please see the guidance on face coverings.

Tradespeople in the home

Tradespeople can continue to work in other people’s homes unless customers or tradespeople are self-isolating, as detailed above. There is no longer a legal requirement to wear a face covering. The government suggests that you continue to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you may come into contact with other people you do not normally meet. For more information please see the guidance on face coverings.

Members of the public should ensure their homes are clean and safe before tradespeople enter. This may involve cleaning items being carried by removals firms, wiping surfaces such as worktops and door handles, letting fresh air into rooms, and seeking to delay work if either party is showing COVID-19 symptoms.

Going further than this guidance

The above guidance describes the minimum best practices you should follow to help keep yourself and others safe.

If you want additional measures or reasonable conditions in place for your move, please talk to the appropriate business about how to proceed.

These measures could include, for example, placing a cap on the number of visitors viewing your home at any one time. These measures are at the discretion of the homeowner and we would ask you to accommodate their wishes.

Agents and other industry professionals should ensure their clients are aware of and comply with these additional requirements, where they do not discriminate against protected characteristics.

Updates to this page

Published 22 July 2021
Last updated 28 January 2022 + show all updates

  1. Updated to reflect the end of Plan B restrictions

  2. Call-out box added on the lifting of Plan B measures.

  3. Updated rules on ending self isolation period.

  4. Advice amended to reflect new guidance on ending self isolation.

  5. Updated to reflect Plan B COVID-19 response measures.

  6. Information box added that England will move to Plan B in response to the risks of the Omicron variant.

  7. Updated to reflect new rules in response to Omicron variant.

  8. Revised in line with the Prime Minister’s announcement of the COVID-19 response: Autumn and Winter plan.

  9. Updated to reflect changes to self-isolation regulations.

  10. First published.

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