{"id":349,"date":"2010-11-24T08:32:28","date_gmt":"2010-11-24T08:32:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.legal4landlords.com\/?p=349"},"modified":"2010-11-24T08:32:28","modified_gmt":"2010-11-24T08:32:28","slug":"licensed-to-let","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.withcreative.co.uk\/lforl\/licensed-to-let\/","title":{"rendered":"Licensed to Let"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By: Colin Campbell<\/p>\n

Landlords and the private rented sector received a boost last week as the National Association of Estate Agents announced that it was introducing a licensing scheme for the industry. It is hoped that the enterprise would help to improve and regulate standards within the sector by protecting tenants and landlords from rogue or unprofessional agents.<\/p>\n

At what is now considered the only housing route for many, the lettings industry is littered with instances of tenants and landlords falling victim to rogue agents who have set up shop at the height of the housing shortage only to scam and relieve landlords and tenants of deposits and rents, then quickly closing shop only to open elsewhere and under another name.<\/p>\n

Most recently, there have been reports of illegal subletting in Barking. One family lost control of their two-bedroom rented home while it was being renovated. They were threatened by the squatters who claimed to be paying \u00a3600 a month rent for the property. A next-door neighbour had also lost his home to squatters which he managed to reclaim once the intruders had fled. The Metropolitan Police are said to be seeking suspects believed to have posed as an estate agent to fraudulently sublet properties.<\/p>\n

Sim Sekhon, spokesman for the landlord and lettings service and support network \u2018Legal 4 Landlords\u2019, said earlier this week:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe private rented sector up until now has not been regulated.\u00a0 As a result, rogue agents have been allowed to operate without much hindrance, bringing down the industry and placing the vast majority of responsible and professional letting agents into disrepute.\u00a0 The NAEA\u2019s licensing scheme is a welcome initiative that hopefully will put a stop to criminal and negligible behaviour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Speaking at the launch in the Houses of Parliament NAEA Chief Executive Peter Bolton King said: \u201cThousands of people entrust one of the most important transactions in life to people who are not qualified or experienced. We would like all sellers and buyers to ask prospective agents. \u2018Do you have a licence?\u2019 If they don\u2019t, they should ask themselves whether that\u2019s the best place to market their property.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NAEA, which represents around a third of all estate agents in the UK will make the scheme available to its members. In order to hold the licence agents would have to prove that they:<\/p>\n