Enhanced professional qualifications all the way up to Foundation Degree level has been put in place to help drive the rental market forward, delegates to the annual ARLA conference has heard.

Housefund.co.uk – 7th February 2008

The ARLA delegates heard new Group Chief Executive Peter Bolton King condemn recent government initiatives and explain how it would be necessary for ARLA to push ahead with licensing and the professional bodies to consider an industry-wide board. “We cannot wait for government,” he said.

“Most baffling of all, government has ignored all calls to include lettings agents in the Consumer, Estate Agents and Redress Act. Meanwhile, new Housing Minister Caroline Flint is considering ejecting from local authority housing those who will not work. Whatever the rights or wrongs of that, it will be the self-regulated Private Rented Sector that would be expected to pick up the pieces and house these people,” Peter Bolton King added.

Mr King explained that it is likely that an Industry Board covering the property spectrum would look to take over the ownership of the various codes of practice from the professional bodies. However, it will not in itself be a regulatory body – full article