New legislation means letting agent training is more important than ever

With a raft of new legislation introduced recently now will be the ideal time to think about whether staff are up to speed to deal with the changes and able to meet the expectations of your landlord and tenant clients.

Staff development is central to running a successful lettings business and it’s the best way to improve knowledge and competence across the entire agency. 

Whether or not you’re on the lookout for new training opportunities – let’s face it there’s always something else keeping you busy in the lettings world – we wanted to remind you how the UK Association of Letting Agents (UKALA) can help, by outlining a few of our one-day training courses. 

Our Agent’s Foundation Course is the foundation level of knowledge required for agencies wishing to become accredited with UKALA. It offers the opportunity to network with property professionals and discuss ideas, problems and solutions to a range issues including, your duties and relevant lettings laws; health and safety in the workplace; client money protection; referencing and vetting tenants; setting up a tenancy; managing and ending a tenancy; and common issues facing agents and landlords.

UKALA’s Safer Homes Course offers practical guidance in order to provide a safer home to tenants, covering all the legal obligations and best practice. The course focuses on all the key issues that are central to providing a safe home, including: gas, fire and electrical safety; carbon monoxide; maintenance issues including working at height; construction design & management responsibilities; condensation and mould; asbestos management; water supply and control of legionella; and safety notices and product recalls.

Our Possession Course will give you a detailed understanding of how to gain possession of a property by providing practical workshops which take you through the process to make sure you get things right.  It covers the various types of possession claim forms, including Section 21 and Section 8 and outlines what to expect at court hearing for possession. It also covers top tips to make sure you steer clear of accusations of harassment from tenants and ensure you don’t unlawfully evict. 

Of course, if you’ve already benefitted from attending a UKALA training course but want to develop you or your staff further, then UKALA Agency Accreditation is the next logical step. 

UKALA Agency Accreditation is based on agent development and good management practice.  It is a mark of quality that sets you apart from other agents, and a national scheme that offers greater consistency for everyone to recognise: agents, landlords, tenants and councils. 

The pressure on the lettings sector will only intensify in the coming years as consumer expectations and awareness rises, so getting ahead of the game and looking to accreditation now will provide a clear business advantage in the long-term and could be the deciding factor between you and your competitors.

*Richard Price is the Executive Director of UKALA