Letting agents have been praised by Boris Johnson for their “enthusiastic” support of the flagship London Rental Standard scheme.

This week, it was announced that there are now over 115,000 rental homes badged under the voluntary accreditation scheme, which launched last May.

There are also 307 letting agency firms signed up, including the Spicerhaart brands of haart and Felicity J Lord, Foxtons, Leaders, Douglas & Gordon, Chestertons, Knight Frank, Leaders and Stirling Ackroyd.

Londoners either letting or renting through every London branch of these firms are assured that they have met the Mayor’s set of core commitments and training levels to offer tenants a professional service.

These include transparent fees, better property conditions, better communications between landlords and tenants, improved response times and repairs, and protected deposits.

Mayor Boris Johnson called on all remaining letting agents and landlords to sign up to the Standard, and “help to stamp out rogue agents or landlords in every corner of the city”.

Johnson said: “This enthusiastic take-up from agents across the capital is testament to the great success of our new and growing London Rental Standard scheme.

“With more and more of London’s workforce and young families now living in rented homes, this sector has a vital part to play in helping to meeting the capital’s housing needs.

The Rental Standard is improving the experience of everyone involved with a clear code of good practice, and I encourage every agent, landlord and tenant to seek it out and sign up.”

Theresa Wallace, head of lettings custome relations at Savills, said: “We fully support raising professional standards in the capital’s private rented sector and signed up to the Mayor’s Rental Standard at the first opportunity.

“As an industry, we are united in our goal to eliminate the small minority of rogue landlords and agents who neglect their responsibilities and bring the industry into disrepute.”

Lori Thompson, director of customer services and compliance at Foxtons, said: “As part of our accreditation, all our senior lettings employees have undertaken intensive training courses achieving NALS or ARLA qualifications and we encourage other lettings agents to join the London Rental Standard benefitting their customers and employees alike.”

Stirling Ackroyd’s lettings director Alexander Jones said: “The London Rental Standard is proving extremely positive for London’s rental sector, giving tenants a better understanding of which agents are regulated, a more informed choice at the very start of the rental process, and improving services and the reputation of the sector.”

However, Labour’s housing spokeperson on the Greater London Assembly, Tom Copley, has criticised London mayor Boris Johnson for slow progress on the scheme.

Copley said just 627 landlords had signed up – with a target of 100,000 by May next year. There are an estimated 300,000 landlords in London, according to the London Rental Standard itself.

An estimated 30% of London’s households now live in rented homes, and by the mid-2020s the number is predicted to overtake the number of home owners in the capital.

The London Rental Standard, which is seen as a template for other cities wanting to introduce similar large-scale accreditation initiatives, is supported by membership bodies ARLA, RICS, NALS and UKALA. It is also supported by the two main landlord bodies, the Residential Landlords Association and the National Landlords Association.

David Cox, ARLA managing director, said: “We are proud to be working with the Mayor on this first step towards a more regulated industry”.

The site for landlords is here and for tenants is here