As the UK faces another potential lockdown, automated lettings platform PlanetRent has partnered with a leading Virtual Reality technology company to offer virtual tours of rental properties, enabling landlords and agents to offer Covid-secure viewings.

The partnership with The 360 View allows landlords and agents to create immersive virtual tours that they can attach to the property listing through the PlanetRent platform. PlanetRent added this brand new feature to its platform to help landlords, agents and tenants navigate a potential second lockdown and keep the lettings market moving without putting people at risk of infection. Renters who use the PlanetRent platform will be able to access a four-minute virtual tour of their chosen property, while accessing additional information about rent, location and size of the property.

PlanetRent, which automates key processes in the lettings process such as compliance and marketing, has been developed in-house by residential property consultancy Ringley Group. The company manages thousands of homes across the country and has invested over £2 million in creating a suite of technological solutions for the residential market, including PlanetRent. In addition to allowing residents to view properties, PlanetRent ensures landlords are fully compliant by providing them with all the legally required paperwork, comes with a deposit-free option and has a standardised pet-friendly clause that landlords can insert into tenancy agreements.

Landlords also benefit, with PlanetRent offering them the ability to easily generate their website where they can market their properties, take offers and arrange viewings, and also directly list on portals like Zoopla and Rightmove. Mary-Anne Bowring, founder and creator of PlanetRent, said: “We’re delighted to announce our partnership with 360view to offer virtual tours of our listed properties. “Landlords and agents who use PlanetRent will be able to instruct our partner to carry out virtual tours of their properties, and they will take care of the rest. “Virtual property tours have seen a surge in popularity since the coronavirus lockdown, and we’ve certainly spotted a gap in the market for high-quality video virtual tours for the residential property market.”