A briefing paper for MPs on the regulation of letting and managing agents in England has been published, and placed in the House of Commons library.
The 30-page document, by Wendy Wilson, explains that there is currently no over-arching statutory regulation of the private rented sector in England.
However, during last autumn’s Conservative party conference, then housing Secretary of State Sajid Javid announced that letting agents would be regulated.
After a call for evidence, the Government last month re-stated its intention to regulate both letting agents and managing agents.
Minimum entry standards will be set and an independent body will carry out the regulatory function.
The paper says that the sector’s bodies support the regulation of letting agents, but are resistant to banning tenancy fees.
The paper also explains: “Scotland has introduced a registration scheme for letting and managing agents. Wales also requires agents to be licenced [sic] and in January 2017 the Department for Communities in Northern Ireland announced an intention to ‘introduce a regulatory framework for all letting agents including bringing forward legislation to ban letting agent fees’.
“This leaves England, currently, as the only area in the UK without comprehensive regulation of letting and managing agents.”
The briefing paper does not say anything new, but it does give a comprehensive background into the whole issue of regulation – and the political football it has been over many years and different governments.
It is briefing paper number 6000 if you use the first link. The second will download the actual document.
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