Client money protection service SAFEagent says lettings professionals should stop moaning about Shelter and work with the charity to come forward with joint policies to improve the regulation of the sector.
The call has come from John Midgley, chairman of SAFEagent, and head of his own lettings management company Touchstone.
In recent months Shelter has taken a much more aggressive approach to the privaqte rental sector than in the past. It has produced reports on alleged revenge evictions', the conditions of properties operated by private landlords, and critical of lettings agents' fees on tenants.
The response from much of the professional rental industry has been strong: the National Landlords' Association in particular has poured scorn on some Shelter research and it is thought that some individual lettings agencies which previously donated to Shelter have now withdrawn their financial and promotional support for the charity.
But Midgley - in an exclusive interview with Letting Agent Today - says: Instead of getting worked up about Shelter, how about the lettings sector talking to its own tenants and finding out what goes on. There's very little research to refute any findings.
We should work with Shelter, acknowledge there's a problem but work together with the charity to get the evidence that it's actually a small minority of rogue landlords and agents who are the problem. Perhaps there should be an industry task force he says.
Midgley believes there is an absence of research and that individual agents could do much more to quantify the level of satisfaction amongst tenants. We've got about 20,000 tenants which means we have a ready-made database. We survey them regularly and know there's high satisfaction amongst over 80 per cent of them. Other agents and industry companies could do that says Midgley.
Midgley went to to say that the lettings industry has come under more political scrutiny in recent months than at any time in the past two decades, with more spotlight to come in the build up to the election.
On the one hand that means it's clear we must get our house in order and work collectively to identify rogue landlords and agents. But this scrutiny also means that our sector is, perhaps for the first time in a generation, being seen as a truly important part of the housing solution in Britain he says.
Midgley says some form of accreditation system - using Boris Johnson's London Rental Standard as a possible first step - would be preferable to blanket landlord licensing as promoted by many local authorities now.
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Comments
Shows like "on Benefits and Proud" create sweeping generalisations about lower class tenants which are then enforced by people in the PRS not taking them on. They are then forced to live in social housing and rough areas to be able to afford to live. It then causes local councils to blame landlords for anti-social behaviour but the work shelter is doing gives people a chance at a better quality of life. We need to work with Shelter to educate people, landlords and councils to get to the root of the problem rather than shifting the blame from landlords to councils with people who are just trying to live their lives, stuck in the cross-fire.
"Shelter has the right to flag up issues in the PRS" You're absolutely right Daniel, it does. What it doesn't have is a right to create a story where one doesn't exist, or not in the quantity that they allege it does.
How does one go about even trying to talk to someone who does that
Shelter aren't interested in helping weed out the few rogue landlord and agents; they would rather see us all gone and to hell with the tenants who get made homeless; they'll blame the councils then.
I'll sit down and discuss the issues - and there are a few issues - with the industry rationally and politely with anyone, but they need to have an open mind first and not come with any preloaded determinations of what the industry is about.
"However, letting agencies withdrawing donations and promotional support seems way over the top" I think the phrase you are looking for is biting the hand that feeds you. How can Shelter pour scorn on letting agents and then still expect them to offer financial support in any kind of joined up thinking, that doesn't work.
I don't think we have got onto our high horse; we are defensive - not offensive - because we are being attacked as a group based on the actions of a minority - a minority that there are laws in place to deal with if the local councils would but use them. If Shelter campaigned for more action from Trading Standards against rogue agents/landlords then I'm sure we would all gladly support them, I know I would.
Adam - SAFEagent is not a body run by NALS. It's a campaign orchestrated by the steering group which comprises some of the best known agents in the business. There are quite a few signed up - [url="http://safeagents.co.uk/agents/search/map"]click here[/url] -
SAFEagent is a campaign initiated by industry - NALS very kindly undertake the immense amount of admin required, but NALS is entirely separate. It's very easy to criticise and do nothing. John is right, we need to engage with all groups with an interest in the PRS and work together. Without joined up thinking and co-operation, nothing will happen as is exactly the case to date.
[b]I see:[/b]
[list]
[*]mandatory "accreditation system" of landlords[/*]
[*]Utilising itself as a Tenant & Landlord Register[/*]
[*]Establish a "Task Force" focusing on Landlords[/*]
[*]Backs Shelters "Anti-Landlord" Propaganda Campaign.[/*]
[*]More Regulation[/*]
[/list]
[b]In full disclosure:[/b]
John Midgley is Chairman of SafeAgent a body established and run by by "National Approved Letting Scheme" which is a "voluntary licensing scheme" asking for schemes like its own to become Mandatory. A great improvement to their income with such proposals.
Mr Midgley is also Chairman of a Letting Agency; one that could see increase business with entrepreneurs having to pass tests to become landlords and join the scheme; instead having to use Letting Agencies.
It should be noted; Mr Midgley asks landlords to back Shelter after saying their claims are unfounded. Keep your enemy's closer
I know when I drive around my own locality it doesn't take long to realise when you are in an area of social housing; unkempt gardens, beat-up old cars etc. If they want to be considered for the PRS then they just have to improve.
EW's article from the other day covers some of this debate quite nicely:
http://www.lettingagenttoday.co.uk/industry-views/709-stop-talking-about-regulation-and-do-something
Whilst I bow to your superior knowledge when it comes to the lettings sector, I would say that those Benefits Britain type programmes are extremely exploitative and give an unfair representation of lower-class people, as you put it. Not all people in social/council housing are as you describe. The tenants shouldnt always get the blame, neither should the PRS. Work together, educate Shelter about the problems, and things will be resolved more easily, rather than people getting all defensive and refusing to accept that certain improvements could be made. Shelter maybe didn't go about it in the right way, as I mentioned before, but knowing the organisation, Im fairly sure they had good intentions in mind.
Sorry Daniel but I disagree with you. Shelter are notorious for standing up for the lower-class Tenants - mainly housed in social housing. Just watch Benefits Britain, Channel Five's latest offering, "The Scheme", "On Benefits And Proud" and other productions which I have for research for my book. All of the Tenants n these programmes seem to have staffies and all/most smoke in their homes.
Many agents in the PRS seek "better quality" Tenants. Working people who respect their properties. Shelter's "intrusion" into the PRS and their criticism does not take this into account the fact that many agents will not house such people. Therefore they should stay out of the PRS. They should focus their criticism on local councils/housing associations who are happy to house basically anyone.
On a further point, during my years in letting, it is the social/council housing estates that cause the anti-social behaviour - NOT the PRS (in the main).
I agree with John - we spend too much time arguing and defending unnecessary allegations rather than address the matter in hand. Yesterday I met informally with Generation Rent and found there is actually a lot of common ground when we actually talk rather than snipe anonymously across cyberspace.
Sounds like a good idea to me. Surely working together, rather than against each other, to solve the problem would be in the best interests of everyone. Shelter has the right to flag up issues in the PRS, but maybe a less aggressive approach would work better. However, letting agencies withdrawing donations and promotional support seems way over the top. Shelter does some great work maybe theyve been too forceful on this occasion but I think its wrong of the lettings sector to get on their high horse and go on the offensive. Mutual collaboration always brings better results.