E-signature legal controversy - lawyer’s update for agents

Leading property lawyer David Smith is to give agents an update on a key legal case at a webinar next week.

Smith, a partner at JMW Solicitors and legal counsel for the National Residential Landlords Association, will discuss the implications of a case which he says has potentially far-reaching impact on agents who have signed tenancy documents on their landlords’ behalf.

The implication of the case concerning the validity of a prescribed information certificate signed by agency employees is complex, Smith says, because of the Deregulation Act 2015 and the widespread use of electronic signatures in modern lettings practices. 

If landlords and agents do not comply with relevant laws on e-signatures when signing prescribed information certificates, future section 8 or section 21 notices could be invalidated he warns.

In this webinar, undertaken with Fixflo, Smith will clarify what qualifies as a valid company signature, how agents can rectify historical non-compliance and what agents should do to ensure their new tenancy process is watertight.

The webinar is from 11am to noon on April 28 and will also cover important legal updates around the enforcement of the new electrical safety standards, the Renters Reform Bill, client money protection and possession proceedings. 

Agents can also ask questions through a moderated Q&A session.

Agents can sign up to the webinar for free here.