CPS Homes

Registration and licensing of landlords and agents in Wales

Update: view the latest information on the scheme launched in November 2015

Under new proposals drawn up by the Welsh Government, private landlords will now need a licence in order to let out their properties, and letting agents will need to be become accredited.

This proposal is only at the consultation stage at present, but if it goes ahead landlords and letting agents will have to sign a mandatory register before they can take on tenants.

The proposal is all part of steps being taken to improve conditions in private rented homes. Landlords and letting agents will have to pass a "fit and proper person" test before being granted a licence, no matter how many properties they already have.

The private rented sector is described by Housing Minister, Huw Lewis, as having "extremes" of good and bad practice. Although there are good landlords, some poor tenants are put in terrible situations by unscrupulous operators, with some people putting up with "poor conditions, insecurity and sometimes even threats of eviction". Councils have also reported lettings agents charging tenants and landlords "a variety of fees and sometimes hidden or unexpected costs".

Under these new proposals put forward by the Welsh Government, only agents and landlords that are accredited through a scheme, which is based on ‘Landlord Accreditation Wales’, a voluntary scheme launched in 2008, will be allowed to manage properties. CPS Homes were the first agent in Cardiff to be accredited with the Landlord Accreditation Wales, which goes to prove that our staff are fully trained and aware of potentially complex housing law, meaning we always deliver the best possible service to both landlords and tenants alike.

These proposals will go some way to appeasing the calls for the whole lettings industry to be regulated - a move that CPS Homes is fully behind, although a bit of careful consideration needs to be given to the merits of mandatory licensing for all landlords; a topic that CPS Homes will be examining in more detail over the next weeks!

The scheme has asked that as many landlords and letting agents comment on the Welsh Government's consultation document as possible. It can be found in full by clicking here.

CPS Homes will be publishing its own response to the document soon and we’d find it really useful to hear your views on the proposals so feel free to get in touch!

Any feedback is greatly appreciated and can be directed to feedback@cpshomes.co.uk. We look forward to hearing your opinions.

25 July 2012

The information contained within this article was correct at the date of publishing and is not guaranteed to remain correct in the present day.

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