The Coronavirus continues to spread throughout China and around the world, leaving many questions as to who is responsible for what and whether there are any obligations to address or limit exposure or infection. For landlords in England and Wales, much depends on how much control they have over their property. If it is a single let property, with no services being provided by the landlord, it is unlikely that the landlord has any obligations to the tenant or other occupiers of the building.
If on the other hand, there is more than one tenant and/or the landlord is providing services such as cleaning or other maintenance services, the situation should be analysed on a case-by-case basis, as the capacity in which a landlord is acting is an important consideration. Where, for example, a landlord is acting as a property manager or as an employer, they are likely to have more obligations rather than if they were acting solely in the capacity of a landlord.