An accreditation scheme says the government database of rogue letting agents should be expanded.
The government is committed to creating a new Property Portal to make sure that tenants, landlords and local councils have l access to details of landlords and letting agents who have failed compliance criteria or have broken the law.
A government statement says: “The portal will provide a single ‘front door’ for landlords to understand their responsibilities, tenants will be able to access information about their landlord’s compliance, and local councils will have access to better data to crack down on criminal landlords. We also intend to incorporate some of the functionality of the Database of Rogue Landlords, mandating the entry of all eligible unspent landlord offences and making them publicly visible.”
But now safeagent, the non-profit making accreditation service for the lettings sector, says the database should go further.
Isobel Thomson, safeagent chief executive, says: “Safeagent welcomes the government announcement that the rogue landlord and letting agent database will be made public, helping renters choose from the vast majority in the sector who do their job properly.
“However, we are concerned the database is currently missing a crucial element.
“Inclusion under a Client Money Protection scheme has been a legal obligation for agents since 2019 – and has improved consumer confidence in the system knowing that their money is protected from
“Yet failure to be part of a CMP scheme appears to be absent from the defined offences on the database, the terms of which were defined before the requirement for CMP was introduced.
“Financial protection in the private rental sector is something safeagent and its agents long campaigned for – meaningful choice for consumers requires open and accurate information to inform their choice. If this is going to be done properly then we must shine a light on dark spots and make sure consumers are getting the full picture.
“We therefore urge the government to update the database and associated banning order offences to incorporate CMP requirements.”
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No mention of a Rogue Tenant database then, Isobel?
I'm not saying this is a bad idea, BUT good agents will unwittingly find themselves on the database thanks to mutton-headed council staff who only have one view of letting agents.
Example: Tenant rents house, decides to make money and rent out other rooms, the house now an HMO, agency not made aware, council intervention, managing agent punished, dimwitted council not interested in facts only prosecution.
...........nothing wrong with this........ but for every rogue landlord there are about 20 plus rogue tenants causing huge damage/expense.......... what is our government doing about this? ..........
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