Agents should challenge rogue landlords and refuse to accept properties in poor condition.
Sally Randall, deputy director of private housing at Communities and Local Government, also said agents should join SAFEagent and make clear to consumers the benefits of using a reputable agent.
Randall, a hastily arranged last-minute substitute for a civil servant colleague, delivered an outstanding speech at the NALS conference.
She also called on agents to ‘rise to the challenge’ of managing large portfolios, suggesting that this could be a realistic future role for them as build to let schemes come on stream.
PS: LAT says that if you missed last week’s NALS conference, you missed out on what was probably the best industry event for some years.
Unlike many conferences your reporter has stoically sat through, it was refreshingly devoid of navel gazing and back-slapping, delivering instead a genuinely interesting and thought-provoking look at the market.
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Comments
It is my opinion that Professional Property Management Agents are better placed to look after the very vast majority of assisted tenancies too. Applying commercial prudence to social housing repairs might just save a few pounds on the management of the Government property portfolio.
If CLG are serious about this then a minor amendment to the 4 weekly rent payment systems would go a long way to bridging the gap between PRS and AHS. The challenge is not the size of the portfolio; it is the red tape which rises exponentially with the size of portfolio.
An assisted rent scheme cost nothing more to apply but levels the social playing field for those in need of assistance. Additionally it might put an end to the farce of single parents living in 3 bed Housing Association homes while families are put up in hotels. A whole market view of all 7.4million rented properties might be a good place to start.
For those that missed the NALS Conference, there is a Video Highlights Report available here:
http://youtu.be/0k3r33aYnI4
And interviews with exhibitors, delegates, and speakers on the NALS YouTube channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/NALscheme