John Crossley, FRICS, has taken over as Chairman of ARLA, the Association of Residential Letting Agents, today (Sept 3). He succeeds Mrs Frances Burkinshaw.

John Crossley is a chartered surveyor and after fifteen years in private practice he became Regional Finance Director for Prudential Property Services. He is now Head of Residential Lettings and Management for Bradford and Bingley with overall responsibility for several thousand residential tenancies. 

He becomes Chairman at a time when he believes ARLA has reached a third age, following clearly defined periods in the life of the Association. The first covered the period from foundation in 1981 up to deregulation of the Private Rented Sector with the Housing Act '88. The second age saw rapid expansion and the establishment of a full secretariat that allowed for the introduction of compulsory bonding and professional qualifications. "These are the critical innovations that turned ARLA into a fully professional body," he pointed out.

Now, with the groundwork well laid, John Crossley sees the almost simultaneous arrival of a new Chairman and a new Chief Executive, Adrian Turner, as the time to bring in the third age.

"This is the time to develop our core culture," he said. " I am not a corporate person by nature but our Association necessarily has a corporate structure. My role, as any Chairman's role, is not to drive the executive but to keep a watching brief, manage strategy and support the Chief Executive whenever necessary." 

"ARLA is the only professional association dedicated to residential lettings. It promotes very high standards and it is my intention to further increase membership to benefit the whole of the Private Rented Sector," he added.

Paying tribute to his predecessor, Frances Burkinshaw, John Crossley said, "Frances brought to the Private Rented Sector the ARLA Fidelity Bond of First Resort, the only proper safeguard for the public's money of its kind in the property industry, let alone the Private Rented Sector. That and her commitment to training, qualifications and professionalism has done much to make this new ARLA age possible."

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