New Code of Practice for Letting Agents
The end of 2017 saw massive changes in the Scottish private rented sector with the introduction of the new Private Residential Tenancy Agreement which has been received with mixed reviews, depending on whether you are a landlord or a tenant. Although the new PRT is a lengthy document it does contain everything a tenant needs to know from the outset of their tenancy, and it is written in fairly plain English with little legal jargon. Time will tell how the new “open ended” agreements will work but they are here to stay and for the most part we are accepting of the changes.
2018 marks a significant year of change for letting agents. From 1st February 2018 all letting agents must abide by a new Code of Practice. The Code is laid down by legislation in The Letting Agent Code of Practice (Scotland) Regulations 2016 which sets out the standards expected of letting agents operating in Scotland in how they manage their business and provide their services.
This year also sees the opening of the Scottish Letting Agent Register. By 1st October 2018 all letting agents must be registered to be able to continue carrying out letting agency work. Membership is mandatory and to be accepted on to the Register all letting agents must ensure that staff members are suitably qualified to a specific level. We are committed to delivering the highest level of service to our clients at all times and see these changes as positive steps which reinforce the standards we already strive to achieve. We are accredited letting agents with Landlord Accreditation Scotland who, in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Housing and Letwell, are satisfying the Scottish Government’s new registration requirements. Already, both our senior Property Partner, Patricia Gray and our Leasing Manager, Maureen Blease have undergone the training programme and are now official “practitioners” in the letting agent industry. Our Factor, Rod Adams will shortly complete his training and we are committed to extending the training programme to all members of our leasing team.
For more information on either of these topics, contact Maureen Blease, Private Client and Leasing Manager.
