Fact sheet: The Letting Agent Registration (Scotland) Regulations 2016

Regulation offers the potential to professionalise the industry, stamp out bad practice, create transparency and give consumers more control over who manages their property. Minimum qualification requirements and statutory Code of Practices to be adhered to by all letting and managing agents in England and sales agents across the UK should be introduced.

Since the introduction of the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016, agents have had to adapt to working with the new Private Residential Tenancy (PRT) and get to grips with what that means for them on a day to day basis. One issue that was raised as a potential problem was how to deal with joint tenancies under a PRT where one tenant wants to leave.

Unmet demand creates daily challenges for clients and businesses alike. Across all four UK nations, the conclusion is the same: planning reform is necessary but not sufficient. Governments must take a broader view of housing delivery, including the role of local authorities, the construction workforce, developer incentives and the effective use of existing permissions. For Propertymark members, this reinforces the importance of engaging with housing policy debates at every level.