Welcome to “Landlords’ Barometer #12” where a lot of inspiration and education has been generated by the first ever NALS Conference in York, which took place on March 3.

I was one of the speakers, but I also learned a great deal as well!

1. First ever NALS Conference in York – report

I caught up with conference chair and speaker, the lovely Kate Faulkner, to find out her views on the message of the Conference.

One thing Kate reinforced throughout the day is that the majority of agents offer an excellent service, but they do not talk enough about their commitment to professional standards such as being members of professional bodies such as NALS, ARLA, or RICS, or that they have client money protection in place.

Kate said that agents should use such memberships as SAFEagent to differentiate themselves from the competition.

2. How a £25 repair turned into an £18,000 bill for a stingy landlord

One of the speakers at the NALS Conference, Ruth Abbott of York Council, told this amazing story of a landlord who fell foul of HHSRS.

The housing health and safety rating system (HHSRS) is a risk-based evaluation tool to help local authorities identify and protect against potential risks and hazards to health and safety from any deficiencies identified in dwellings. It was introduced under the Housing Act 2004 and applies to residential properties in England and Wales.

Click on the link to read the story and find out more about HHSRS.

3. Property Redress Scheme issue guidance on lettings agents fees

In the light of much media attention on the subject recently, the Property Redress Scheme (PRS) has issued further guidance on unfair fees being charged by Letting Agents to their Consumers.

I caught up with Head of Redress, Sean Hooker, to find out how the first six months of mandatory redress has been for the PRS and to learn more about their guide to fees.

4. Easyproperty 3% full management fee

See landlords discussing this proposition. It’s interesting what they value and what influences their choice of agent.

That’s it for this week. Thank you for reading. I appreciate your time and attention!