Staying on top of agent regulations

Rules have never been exciting. They’re ingrained in us from childhood and continue to follow us as we get older. It’s only as the years go by that you realise how important boundaries are and how (the majority of) rules exist mainly to keep us safe or maintain consistency in one way or another.

Whilst we like to be different, we respect the rules. Yes, we like to break through the boundaries on what people think is a typical estate and letting agent. We like to keep our promises and we like to do things which other agents may have shied away from. After all, no one likes to be ordinary, lied to, let down or given sub-par service, right?

But sometimes, the rules are the rules. And we don’t break them. Ever. Some rules and regulations are far too important for you, for us and for the industry as a whole. So when we heard the news that agents were required to undergo training thanks to new government orders, we couldn’t have been happier. We’ve heard countless stories from clients who have used various high street agents in the past. Turns out, they just weren’t up to scratch when it came to offering them a decent service, and to us that isn’t cool.

These new regulations mean that you no longer have to put up with agents who don’t live up to your expectations. It will be a requirement, by law, that all letting agents go through the necessary training deemed fit by the National Trading Standards.

For those who are interested, here’s some snippets from the government documents to fully delve into what will be expected of each agent:

·         Satisfy minimum training requirements – From now on all agents will have to be trained by an industry recognised body to carry out the necessary lettings procedures needed by law.

·         Abide by an industry code of conduct in order to practise and comply with all existing legal requirements – Agents must stick to these rules at all times. In lettings, there are a number of laws and regulations that we need to be  aware of. It might seem like all fun and games at times, but us agents have to do our homework and stay up to date on what’s required from a legal and professional point of view.

·         Once the client money protection scheme membership is mandated, non-compliant agents would not be permitted to operate until they obtain cover since being a member of a scheme will be a requirement to trade – Deposit protection schemes are certainly a biggie when it comes to lettings. These are in place to protect not only the tenant, but the agent and landlord as well. Your agent should never hold your deposit for you, so always ensure this is in a regulated scheme. You can read up on this topic  here if it’s all new to you.

Of course, you might ask “what about you guys at Ascend?” well, fear not. We already adhere to strict codes of conduct and have been members of a number of regulatory schemes since day one.  These include The Property Ombudsman, ARLA, NALS and Safe Agent, so you can rest assured that you’re in safe hands when you come to us for all your property needs.

Want a reputable agent that you know you can rely on? Contact Ascend today – we’re here to help you no matter where you are in your property journey. Whether it’s getting the keys to your first home, expanding your family and looking for something bigger. Maybe you’re a landlord looking for a management agent or are looking to expand your  property portfolio, Ascend can help you every step of the way.  You can call our Manchester or Liverpool branch today by getting in touch via the contact page here.