The British Property Federation, Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, Federation of Private Residents Association, The Property Institute and Propertymark have penned a joint open letter to the new housing secretary, Angela Rayner, calling on the new government to legislate the regulation of residential property agents.
The trade bodies see agency regulation as key to the wider aim of raising standards in the residential property sector.
See the letter below.
OPEN LETTER TO THE GOVERNMENT ON RAISING STANDARDS IN THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SECTOR
The Rt. Hon. Angela Rayner MP
Secretary of State
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
2 Marsham Street,
London SW1P 4DF
July 2024
Dear Secretary of State,
Re: Regulation of Property Agents
Firstly, many congratulations from our sector on your appointment to this crucial role. We are particularly pleased to see you in this post as we share with you a deep commitment to good, safe homes across all tenures, well built and managed, effectively sold or let, with the interests of residents central to every decision affecting them.
As you know, housing is a key part of our nation’s core infrastructure. Good housing improves lives, with better outcomes in physical and mental health, social cohesion, children’s education, crime rates and the wider economy. Whereas poor quality housing harms the economy, our health, social and education services and the sense of a just society.
We the undersigned share the objective of raising standards across the residential housing sector to improve the living environment and experience of homeowners, tenants and residents.
Within this overarching aim, we are calling on the new Government to:
- set standards for those working in the residential agency sector, through a Code of Practice;
- introduce mandatory qualifications and competence standards; and
- ensure individuals and firms raise service standards through the introduction of regulation of property agents to the above code of conduct and in line with the principles of better regulation.
This is consistent with the outcomes sought by Lord Best and his Working Group, whose report provides a considered framework ready to be translated into legislation. Professional bodies have long called for and we stand ready to deliver effective regulation in the sector.
We would therefore welcome an early roundtable meeting with you to discuss the new government’s proposals, and your willingness to legislate which would have wide support – including from the Opposition which, in government, declared it had only failed to act due to the lack of parliamentary time.
We look forward to hearing from you, and hopefully meeting you and your team as soon as your diary permits.
Signed,