Landlord accreditation scheme

Landlord accreditation scheme

10:22 AM, 25th November 2016, About 7 years ago 10

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There seem to be a number of landlord accreditation schemes- and landlord training programmes- both run by individual councils, ARLA, RLA etc.training

I just wondered which scheme/ courses, if any, would other PRS landlords recommend?

Jill


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Chris @ Possession Friend

17:05 PM, 25th November 2016, About 7 years ago

NLA
Largest Landlord organisation by far.

Simon Griffith

17:21 PM, 25th November 2016, About 7 years ago

I was introduced to the London Landlord Accreditation Scheme ironically by Maidstone Borough Council. Quite a decent bunch. The NLA who I am a member of then passported me into their scheme. All well intentioned and educational but it's the usual story - those who really could benefit from it and need it won't bother. The good guys carry on doing the right thing !

Rob Crawford

18:51 PM, 25th November 2016, About 7 years ago

RLA and NLA are very similar. The cost over time favours NLA as unlike RLA they do not require you to fund a formal annual CPD course. Add to this the limited course locations (tend to be Manchester/Liverpool way) and subsequent travel and hotels, RLA can be significantly more expensive. It's worth checking to see if your local authority recognise either course. If you have a local or council accreditation scheme that may be better, particularly if locally accredited landlords are given reductions in HMO licensing etc. Consider also what else you need and whether these are offered through membership. Note ARLA is a trade body for letting agents - not landlords!

Jill Coyne

20:03 PM, 25th November 2016, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Rob Crawford" at "25/11/2016 - 18:51":

Thank you Rob- I'll check with the council first. According to the link below both NLA & RLA are recognised by london boroughs (or RLAAS & NLAS).

https://www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/housing-and-land/renting/london-rental-standard/get-accredited-five-easy-steps

A lot of the courses' contents seem at first glance to be fairly basic & I already consider myself to be a good landlord maintaining a good standard etc- it's beginning to look as if a degree course might be more practical as far as learning is concerned.....!

Darlington Landlord

23:45 PM, 25th November 2016, About 7 years ago

You can take up a basic membership of the NLA for £50 and do the accreditation online. Of course to keep it you do need to stay a member.

Your local council scheme may carry more weight with tenants but with council cuts its worth checking if its being continued. My council had a good scheme but discontinued it last year due to cuts .

Luke P

11:39 AM, 28th November 2016, About 7 years ago

NLCE...? They seem to have just got going after a licensing attempt in the South West. I think they're hoping to go national with it now.

Kevin McLandlord

17:49 PM, 28th November 2016, About 7 years ago

Do any of these associations actually add gravitas? I've not really found the need for them for this purpose and I find there's so many useful forums for any help and advice needed when required.

Thoughts appreciated...

Luke P

19:46 PM, 28th November 2016, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Kevin McGinnigle" at "28/11/2016 - 17:49":

Locally we have set up our own scheme as an alternative to the fire offering of the LA and to 'prove otherwise' when the council try to use lack of accreditation as a reason for licensing (we'll all have already accredited ourselves).

Short of that, there's no substitute for experience.

Jill Coyne

20:37 PM, 28th November 2016, About 7 years ago

Well I wouldn't want accreditation if it meant I'd have the council wanting me to accept eleven people to suffer overcrowding and put enormous strain on the property. Luckily I have a family of four there for now and they are looking after the house and seem to be having a wonderful time.

My initial foray into the whys & wherefore of accreditation was mainly because I'm so sick of agents insisting on using external inventory clerks who use dictaphones and then type up the whole confused monologue citing every single bump and indentation on the freshly painted victorian walls, leaving me to wade through and correct 50 pages of mistakes: sideboards referred to as long narrow tables with cupboards under, polished old pine doors as varnished doors that are old and marked, brand new carpets that are 'showing tread marks, age worn'. etc. and much more important mistakes than that. And none of these so called trained inventory clerks can read an analogue electric meter either.

So I thought accreditation had something to do with learning to to the whole job properly oneself instead of, e.g., paying unapologetic agents to put cannabis farmers in your house. Well I agree, not all agents do things like that, leaving you to clear up the mess - just the flashiest, most upmarket ones........

And I guess it is is more sensible to have an impartial clerk to do the inventory if there's a query. So accreditation....

Chris @ Possession Friend

15:25 PM, 29th November 2016, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Kevin McGinnigle" at "28/11/2016 - 17:49":

The issue with advice from 'forums'. is some people on them may know what they're talking about and others won't.
Consequently, the questioner is left to choose which of a number of differing pieces of advice to take.
An organisation's advice line offers much more consistency, apart from a number of other services.

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