By Steve Roulstone
Agent Legislation – A missed opportunity?
Our new Government have announced that they will not be pursuing the recommendations of the Rugg Review from last year and there will be no professional registration for Letting Agents. The recommendation that all Landlords be required to register will also be dropped.
Door still open for lack of Knowledge.
This could be a lost opportunity as at the very least, other Agents who look to the rental sector for income when other income falls away, would have at least be forced to carry out the role with a minimum of qualification and letting agents who do cut corners would be held to account.
Professional Agents.
But will this change effect the Professional Agents in our Industry, certainly for us at Castle Estates as we saw this situation, as a possibility to be seen as professional leaders within our Industry? This aim will not change, but we will now wait with interest to see exactly how our Professional bodies react and for this I will be looking at ARLA and NALS for positive leadership.
It was stated by the Housing Minister Grant Shapps that he was ‘Putting Councils on alert’ that they should pursue Landlords and Agents who do not look after their Tenants or Properties and act unethically and that Councils should ‘Use the range of powers already at their disposal’ in doing so.
Time to step to the mark.
But will they? And what will our Governing bodies do to promote such action? This is definitely where I will be placing my time in both speaking with my own Council, with whom I have had both contact and a working relationship for many years, in particular during the introduction of HMO regulations and ARLA and NALS in asking what policy they will pursue in ensuring that Councils carry out their role and police the Rental sector as directed.
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