Home » Uncategorised »
Welsh Government Urged to Repeal Rent Smart Wales
This article is an external press release originally published on the Landlord News website, which has now been migrated to the Just Landlords blog.
Welsh Government Urged to Repeal Rent Smart Wales
A new online petition has been published on the Welsh government’s website calling for the repeal of the Rent Smart Wales law.
The scheme requires all landlords and letting agents in Wales to register themselves and their properties and to obtain a license. Find out more here: /todays-the-day-for-change-in-the-welsh-private-rental-sector/
The petition suggests that instead, landlords and agents should join a recognised scheme.
Greg Roberts & Co, estate agents in Blaenau Gwent, brought the petition. The firm states: “The legislation proposes all landlords and letting agents are licensed to be able to let a property in Wales. This in principle does have merit. However, the scheme put forward is over-complicated and extremely costly.
“Making it illegal for individuals or agencies to let properties who are not members of a recognised organisation, i.e. ARLA [the Association of Residential Letting Agents], NAEA [the National Association of Estate Agents], RICS [the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors] or private landlords affiliations, would ensure the tenant is protected, as all the above have standards and criteria members have to adhere to.
“This is also backed up by the need to have Client Money Protection insurance and to be a member of an independent redress scheme, like say The Property Ombudsman [TPO]. Then there would be no need for any further costly Welsh government involvement.”1
The petition is only open for a month, closing on 31st December 2015. Sign it here: https://www.assembly.wales/en/gethome/e-petitions/Pages/petitiondetail.aspx?PetitionID=895
1 https://www.assembly.wales/en/gethome/e-petitions/Pages/petitiondetail.aspx?PetitionID=895
