Estate agency regulations and minimum standards may finally see the light of day after Labour put forward amendments to the Government’s Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill to introduce Lord Best’s long-awaited Regulation of Property Agents (ROPA) recommendations.
Lord Best’s ROPA working party recommended a new industry regulator and code of practice, compulsory training and licensing, and significantly beefed up enforcement for the agency sector in 2019.
The Government has previously said it is committed to introducing these rules but little has happened since.
However, Labour Shadow Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook put forward an amendment to the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill, being discussed at committee stage by MPs this week and next, that would “implement the proposals within 24 months of the Act coming into force and to report on progress to that end at the end of the period of 12 months.”
Commenting on the development, Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, said: “It is really positive to see an amendment put forward to get the recommendations in Lord Best’s report on the Regulation of Property Agents on the statute book.
“The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Bill alongside other proposed housing legislation will bring huge change to the way people buy, sell, rent and live in property.
"However, currently there no minimum standards to work in the property sector and there are no statutory rules to ensure those buying, selling and managing property are suitably qualified. This amendment is an opportunity to provide a greater level of protection for consumers and should be widely supported.”
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Labour are a bunch of cranks
Whilst totally in support of RoPA and the need for minimum standards I do think that regulation should also be applied to aspiring or existing MP’s given the appalling quality across the political spectrum.
I suggest a similar sentiment as per the last paragraph of your article.
However, currently there no minimum standards to work representing people of this country and there are no statutory rules to ensure those governing are suitably qualified. This amendment is an opportunity to provide a greater level of protection for voters and should be widely supported.”
We need this to show we are worth higher fees level 3 Propertymark or similar should be the min standard. More importantly we need a roll out of landlord licensing I did 28 Birmingham selective licence applications for private landlords not 1 had all the basic docs for the licence, not 1 one even tried to use a gas safe 6 years out of date and had never heard of an EICR
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