As the Coronavirus spreads across the UK, our estate agencies face a battle to keep afloat – this is how the portals have responded to the developing crisis in the industry.

View is from senior civil servant but letting agents say they need to keep their businesses open to organise emergency repairs to properties and look after elderly and vulnerable tenants.

Over 80 agents representing in excess of 120 branches so far have jointly written to the portal to ask for more help than its deferred payments scheme.