New property standards ‘to help letting agents be compliant’
Converting all data sources to a digital format and making them shareable is essential if the lettings process is to speed up.
The Open Property Data Association (OPDA) has released a new version of its property data standards framework to help letting agents comply with new guidance.
OPDA’s latest version provides tools to simplify agents’ compliance processes with the National Trading Standards Material Information for Lettings guidance.
PROPERTY DATA
The National Trading Standards Parts B and C, published at the end of last year, means listing properties has become easier using digital property data. But it is vital that data is properly provenanced so it can be safely re-used.
OPDA’s framework traces where each data item is from so that users can verify and evidence sources and is freely available to the entire property industry and its software providers, from estate agents, through to lawyers, lenders and brokers without any restrictive or proprietary licences.
Less than 1% of property information is available digitally but converting all property data sources and documents to a digital format and making them shareable is essential if the lettings process is to speed up.
Shareable and trustable data will also reduce fraud and failed transactions which will be hugely beneficial to landlords and estate agents.
OPEN STANDARDS
Ed Molyneux, Chief Technical Officer of proptech firm Moverly, an OPDA member, says: “This latest release so soon after the previous version is evidence that the industry can really make progress on these vital open standards when we all work together collaboratively.

“We are rapidly incorporating more opportunities to streamline many different processes within the property industry – Material Information for Lettings in this release – which will allow tools to really simplify estate agents’ compliance processes.
The new version framework also includes improvements in its support for the National Trading Standards for sales based on feedback from agents, to help make the requirements more understandable for both agents and sellers alike.
It will tackle digital conveyancing, lending and completion next, moving even closer to the long-overdue digitisation of the whole property sale process.