Scotland’s letting agency qualifications need to be enforced

Enforcement of Scotland’s mandatory qualifications for letting agents is vital for success and failure to abide by legislation must have consequences, Isobel Thomson, Chief Executive of safeagent has demanded.

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2014 requires “appropriate people” in each letting agency to hold a “relevant qualification” and, where necessary, to undertake additional training on letting agency work.

SOLE TRADERS

Sole traders themselves and any person directly concerned with managing and supervising the day-to-day running of letting agency work must be qualified.

For companies, partners and other bodies, the people that must be qualified include the person holding the most senior position in the organisation’s management structure and any person directly concerned with managing and supervising day-to-day running.

Qualifications must be accessible and affordable.”

But replying to a Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland review of the qualifications Thomson says: “Agents are the glue that holds the private rented sector together. Investing in them as professionals is crucial – as the CIH’s review of qualifications rightly points out.

“Embedding professional development in law was the starting point in 2014 – but qualifications must be accessible and affordable.

TRAINING

“The CIH’s review has reinforced how important it is for Scottish Government, training providers and the wider lettings industry to work together to ensure this is the case.

“Agents need to be able to incorporate professional development into their working day, so being flexible is key.”

Thomson says the industry needs “a mix of carrot and stick”.

And she adds: “Enforcement is critical, but so is incentivising professional development and making sure agents see the benefits.

“This will help encourage compliance, rather than impose it, and is the only way to bring about a wider cultural shift which will be more sustainable in the long run.”