Property Rental Advice: Unregulated Agents May Not be Properly Trained

By Craig Smith

There have been a number of news articles recently about the number of letting agents going out of business whilst still in possession of money that is owed to Tenants and Landlords. Sometimes the office may relocate to save costs but sometimes poor communication can lead to a lot of confusion and Landlords being out of pocket.

Professional Bodies

There are a number of professional bodies that agents can join, there is ARLA, RICS and NALS to name just a few, and Castle Estates Staffordshire is an ARLA regulated agent. By being members of a governing body, this can give Landlords and Tenants reassurance that their money is safe and protected as necessary.

Is Your Agent ‘In the Know’?

There is no current law that says a letting agent must be governed and near enough anybody could start their own letting agency. Some of these agents may be charging very low management fees which will no doubt attract some Landlords due to the lesser amount of money that they would have to pay out. But do some agents have the experience and the knowledge to manage a property correctly?

We are proud to have 4 fully ARLA trained staff in our office and 3 more staff members currently working their way through the training material and examinations. By having staff members completing this training, they show that they understand the current legislations and practices that dictate the world of lettings as well as receiving regular updates in lettings news.

Safety Risks

As mentioned earlier, some agents may not have the experience or the know-how when some matters arise. In turn, this could compromise Tenant safety during a tenancy, for example not having a Landlords Gas Safety Certificate completed each year. The safety check is perhaps the most commonly thought of but there are dozens of other examples, such as the Fire & Furnishing Regulations Act 1988 where furniture provided by a Landlord must meet certain safety criteria.

So Who Can We Trust?

There are a number of unregulated agents who are more than trustworthy and we do not aim to ‘tar everybody with the same brush’ where this is concerned. Likewise, there are still a few rogue agents who will be regulated but may still choose to deal in an inappropriate manner. Sometimes the best marketing tool is the simplest… recommendation!