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The Welsh Government has announced that registration and licensing applications will open for ‘Rent Smart Wales’ on Monday 23rd November 2015. Landlords will be able to register with Rentsmart Wales and begin their licensing applications. Agents will also be able to begin their licensing applications. Landlords letting property in Wales have one year to comply. Landlords will be able to register with Rentsmart Wales and begin their licensing applications. You will be able to do this online at: https://www.rentsmart.gov.wales/en/…

RLA Policy Director David Smith has penned the following article on the Right-to-rent checks that landlords will be required to conduct for all tenancies from 1st February 2016. David considers the role of agents doing right-to-rent checks and the implications of training staff and having a procedure in place to mitigate any threat of sanction…

RLA Policy Consultant Richard Jones has written the below following an RLA member getting caught up in the business/consumer issue many landlords face. The article provides a warning when conducting business as a landlord and why being aware of consumer / business rights and legislation is an important aspect of being a landlord…

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) has joined forces with the RLA to provide online qualification training aimed at improving the private rented sector (PRS). Act fast as registration closes soon!..

According to a new study, over 80% of tenants think that their landlords should pay for damage they have caused when their tenancy ends. The study*, conducted by PropertyLetByUs.com – a leading online letting agent, also reveals that over 90% of tenants say they have tried to hide the damage from their landlord and one in ten tenants admits to causing more than £500 worth of damage to their rented property. A further 72% of tenants said they ended up in a dispute with their landlord over the property damage…

Government efforts to make it more difficult for illegal immigrants to access rented housing have been left in tatters following the publication of a new report today. In December 2014 landlords in the West Midlands were chosen to pilot the Government’s ‘Right to Rent’ scheme which made them legally required to check the immigration status of their tenants…

The Home Office have announced today – 20th October 2015 – that the Right-to-rent phase 1 scheme in the West Midlands will be rolled out across England in early 2016. Right-to-rent is one part of the government’s ongoing reforms to the immigration system to make it harder for illegal migrants to live in the UK…

Many landlords in Wales will already be aware of the Licensing and Registration scheme, Rent Smart Wales, which is due to start later this autumn. What many landlords may not be aware of is the Renting Homes Bill, which is currently making its way through the National Assembly. The Renting Homes Bill looks to radically alter the way tenancy contracts are written in Wales, using a number of Fundamental, prescribed and additional terms to create a ‘standard contract’, as well as introducing a Key Matters document…

The London Landlord Accreditation Scheme (LLAS) and the UK Landlord Accreditation Partnership (UKLAP) is proud to announce Your Investment & the Law Conference & Award on 18 March 2016. This prestigious event will be held to celebrate the successes of the scheme which supports and educates landlords, letting and managing agents and to acknowledge and reward excellence amongst its members. The Conference will bring together 500 plus landlords, agents, housing professionals across the board, VIP guests, including Richard Blakeway, Deputy Mayor of London for Housing, Land and Property, Kate Faulkner Evening standard Property Expert and Journalist, David Smith- specialist Lawyer, Day Smith Hunter-Tax specialist and many more…

The Immigration Bill had its second reading on Tuesday October 13th and the RLA featured heavily. The RLA has been involved with many meetings with the Home Office and stakeholders over the past year and continue to influence proposals. RLA Chairman Alan Ward and Policy Director David Smith have conducted several interviews recently and the following is a selection of news items recently published highlighting the RLA’s influence and involvement with the on-going conversations. ..