NALS launches letting agent licensing system

News Category: Legal

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A new licensing system for letting agents is being introduced by the National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS).

Commencing this week, all 1,800 of the letting offices currently approved by NALS will be issued with a license by the body, with the initiation of the scheme being completed by the end of the month.

NALS states that the scheme is being launched in response to recent government calls for rental industry licensing, as highlighted in the Rugg Review.

It will now be proposing that operating as an unlicensed letting agency be made illegal in order to guarantee higher industry standards.

Caroline Pickering, chair of NALS, said: "Licensing for the private rented sector is now inevitable as well as very overdue. I believe that NALS as the government sponsored independent accreditation scheme for letting agents should take the lead."

This follows calls from Arla last month for government action in order to oust under-qualified rogue letting agents from the industry.

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