MPs concerned about regulation of letting agents

News Category: Legal

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A significant number of MPs have signed an early day motion (EDM), which states their concern at the lack of regulation letting agents have to abide by.

According to letting agent body Arla, 60 MPs have already signed the EDM, with a cancelled register of landlords among the issues brought up in the document.

Ian Potter, operations manager at Arla, explained that because of the lack of regulation in the lettings sector at the moment, anyone is able to set themselves up as a landlord or a letting agent.

"Arla has long campaigned for the introduction of compulsory regulation of letting agents, along the same lines as our own member-led licensing scheme launched last year," he added.

Mr Potter said housing minister Grant Shapps has already promised to work with the letting agent body to come up regulation for the sector.

The Property Ombudsman Christopher Hamer criticised the government's decision last month not to press ahead with regulation of landlords and letting agents.

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