6 February 2008

Enhanced professional qualifications all the way up to Foundation Degree level has been put in place to help drive the rental market forward, delegates to the annual ARLA conference heard yesterday. This was the largest conference of regulated letting agents ever held in Britain. (Novotel, Hammersmith, February 5)

The ARLA delegates heard new Group Chief Executive Peter Bolton King condemn recent government initiatives and explain how it would be necessary for ARLA to push ahead with licensing and the professional bodies to consider an industry-wide board. “We cannot wait for government,” he said.

“Most baffling of all, government has ignored all calls to include lettings agents in the Consumer, Estate Agents and Redress Act. Meanwhile, new Housing Minister Caroline Flint is considering ejecting from local authority housing those who will not work. Whatever the rights or wrongs of that, it will be the self-regulated Private Rented Sector that would be expected to pick up the pieces and house these people,” Peter Bolton King added.

He explained that it is likely that an Industry Board covering the property spectrum would look to take over the ownership of the various codes of practice from the professional bodies. However, it will not in itself be a regulatory body.

“In the Private Rented Sector, it is up to ARLA to continue leading by example and to facilitate industry-wide regulation.” Peter Bolton King continued. “Government has caused confusion with its inconsistent legislation for Houses in Multiple Occupation and introduced mandatory Tenancy Deposit Protection, without any way of policing it, except through the professional bodies and the reputable landlord organisations.”

Referring to the flood of reviews into the Private Rented Sector that have been set in motion over the past few months, Peter Bolton King said that many of the issues could have been sorted out long ago if the advice given by the professional bodies had been acted upon.

“Instead, and in addition to the Carsberg Review commissioned by the professional bodies, there is the recently announced review of the Private Rented Sector by the Department of Communities and Local Government. This is as well as their wider industry review. And now we have the Conservatives Review,” he added.

ARLA does not believe that there is any need for an official regulatory body for the control of agents. The organisation has been calling for years for a simple legislative framework that allows designated professional bodies such as ARLA to sort out the industry and drive out the cowboy agents and rogue landlords.

“Meanwhile, it is vital that ARLA steps up the pressure, brings more lettings agents into the fold and gets the message across to the consumers, landlord and tenants that there is only one way to run the private rented sector. That is the tried, tested and practical ARLA way,” Peter Bolton King concluded.

 

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