In the past year there have been calls from RICS, The Property Ombudsman and ARLA, as well as other organisations to regulate the Residential Lettings sector, so this is welcome news. Peter Allen commented, this will allow those that have experienced poor service to some form of redress, and if appropriate further action can be taken, something that will benefit not just Landlords but Tenants alike.
Calls for legislation have intensified in the past year or so amid a major shift towards renting in the UK. There are now 3.84 million households privately renting in England, up from 1.9 million in 2001. The news is a welcome step in the right direction for those agents who are members of ARLA and follow their strict regulations in order to protect all clients. However, ARLA is still calling for further action and all Lettings Agencies to be regulated.
Jemma Corbett commented, “With renting a property being seen as a more viable and long term option for more tenants, agents need to be transparent, professional, knowledgeable and aware of the rules and regulations. With more letting agencies opening up, we welcome this move forward. Here at Sarah Kenny, we are very transparent with our fees to both Tenants and Landlords, as we will feel this is the only way to start an ongoing and sometimes long relationship.’’