Plans outlined to introduce ‘property MOT’ for the rental sector

Savills is to integrate a minimum standards-style checklist into its systems as part of plans to introduce a “property MOT” for the rental sector.

Theresa Wallace, a Savills director and chair of The Lettings Industry Council which has been working on the idea, said it could be more effective than, and replace, licensing schemes.

Wallace told yesterday’s Property Ombudsman conference that rental homes would have to pass minimum standards, similar to a car MOT, in order to be fit to rent.

She said Savills was keen on integrating property MOTs and that Hunters had already trialled it.

It would include a checklist to show all regulations have been complied with and would include tenancy agreements and inventories.

She said all properties have their own unique number from the Land Registry so can be identified and listed on a portal that displays ‘Property MOTs’ and could be checked by the public and Trading Standards.

She said: “We do believe there is a place for larger HMO licensing schemes, but there has to be a better solution to additional and selective licensing.

“We think we have identified a not-for-profit company to host a portal and it could also integrate deposit registration.”

The biggest news of the day was the confirmation that the Government is to be advised to introduce regulation across the agency sector.

Lord Best, chair of the working group on the regulation of property agents, said all agents would need a qualification to obtain a licence and it would be illegal to trade without one.

He said the qualifications would vary depending on the agent’s role.

Separately, Tory MP Kevin Hollinrake, chairman and co-founder of Hunters, warned that rent controls will ensue if Section 21 is abolished, which his own party has advocated.

He said that agents need to make their case properly, to avoid unintended consequences.

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6 Comments

  1. Eyereaderturnedposter12

    “It would include a checklist to show all regulations have been complied with and would include tenancy agreements and inventories.”
     
    …otherwise known as any agent’s (worth their salt) property file…
     
    If you don’t already have a compliance checklist, and all Tenancy related documents (per Tenancy/property) in at least one immediately accessible format and location (ideally a hard copy file and separate digital file) please close the door behind you on your way out..!  
     
    Ground-breaking stuff

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  2. revilo

    Do they not think that the vast majority of us do this anyway?? And any checklist is only as good as the person ticking the boxes! Crazy!

     

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    1. singlelayer

      …and the day it’s carried out.

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  3. LetItGo

    Fake news by Savilles, read all about it!

    TPO say no more…waste of a conference.

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  4. Will2

    Perhaps if such a system is introduced it will completely take away the need for greedy councils like Croydon and soon Lewisham to justify boroughwide licensning.  As others have commented the vast majority of landlords and agents are up to speed and will probably already meet the standards. It could perhaps cut off the cash cow milk to the councils. However the cost of periodic inspection could be high?  As for abolition of S21 the foolish tory government will loose many of its voters.  If they think they are they lesser of the two evils (to retain voters) they might find they are wrong come the next election.  They all seem to have the Mrs May ill judgement gene!!

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  5. Will2

    Headline is not exactly right is it????  Journalists inciting concern for the property profession?

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