Why use an ARLA licensed lettings agency?

The press is often filled with stories of rogue letting agents. So as a landlord, how do you avoid these unscrupulous individuals and find a reputable lettings agency in Southend-on-Sea who will work with honesty and integrity? The easy answer is that you use an ARLA member.

What is ARLA?

The Association of Residential Letting Agents, commonly known as ARLA, is a professional membership and regulatory body for letting agents and letting agencies in the UK. Since 1981, ARLA has actively promoted the highest standards across every aspect of residential lettings and management in the Private Rented Sector. ARLA’s role is to make sure consumers receive a professional and transparent service from its licensed agents.

ARLA membership: For individuals not agencies

Membership of ARLA is open to individual letting agents, not agencies. Letting agents are not regulated in the UK and anyone can let a home on your behalf. Therefore, we feel strongly that landlords and tenants should only use lettings agents who have voluntarily become members of ARLA to ensure properties are let and rented legally and safely.

To become an ARLA member an individual must:

  • Be working within the residential lettings industry
  • Be acting as an agent on behalf of a third party
  • Hold a qualification which is specific to the industry and accepted by ARLA.

The Pace lettings team members are all ARLA qualified or currently studying for their technical exams. For an employee the required qualification is a minimum of the National Federation of Property Professionals (NFoPP) Level 2 Award in Introduction to Residential Property Management Practice. For a company partner or director the required qualification is the NFoPP Level 3 Technical Award in Residential Letting and Property Management. This means ARLA members and therefore the Pace Southend lettings team have taken time to study and pass exams to prove their understanding of the industry.

What ARLA membership means for landlords

The ARLA membership criteria mean that member agents are professionals. All ARLA members will understand and keep up to date with the latest lettings legislation. They also voluntarily follow a Code of Practice and Rules of Conduct that have been set out by ARLA. An agent can be fined or even expelled for not following the code. ARLA’s disciplinary body ranges from warnings to penalties of up to £5000. In addition, should you ever be unhappy and wish to complain, ARLA members can refer you to an independent third party.

Licensed ARLA agencies

As soon as a Lettings Agency has a Principal, Partner or Director in place who is a current ARLA member, the company automatically becomes a Licensed ARLA agency. This offers a further number of benefits to landlords.

ARLA licensed agencies will:

  • Have client money protection schemes in place to protect all tenant and landlord funds
  • Have an annual independent audit
  • Have professional indemnity insurance in place
  • Sign up to an independent redress scheme
  • Abide to a strict code of practice.

Most ARLA agencies have one member of their office team who is ARLA qualified. At Pace, we go one step further. We expect every senior member of our lettings team to qualify and we encourage and support all staff at any level of the business who would like to study and sit their professional exams.

This means when you speak with one of our senior members of staff, whoever shows you a property or advises you on letting your home or buy-to–let property in Southend, they will know the latest lettings regulations and have committed themselves to attaining the highest level of lettings expertise.

 

We are happy to offer half an hour of face-to-face advice, free of charge, to local individual considering becoming a landlord.

Please telephone and ask to speak to George, Marcus or Crystal on 01702 445 606.

George Curtis is Senior Negotiator at Pace Properties, an independent lettings agency in Southend-on-Sea. In his day-to-day role George provides honest property advice about letting and selling property, based on his local knowledge and the current market conditions.

He will ensure all sales are dealt with quickly, smoothly and makes certain the highest price possible is achieved when acting for the vendor.