ARLA – the Association of Residential Letting Agents – is probably the largest letting agent organisation in the UK.
ARLA is campaigning for the government to regulate the lettings industry and has set up as a self-proclaimed leader in honesty and integrity among agents.
The organisation runs training courses to improve professionalism and standards offered landlords and tenants.
Protection for landlord cash
ARLA’s reputation is built on a client money protection scheme which indemnifies landlords and tenants against financial loss if a letting agent should go bust or steal their cash.
Compensation is not open-ended. The scheme will pay out up to £25,000 to a landlord or tenant, but the maximum a landlord will receive is capped to three month’s rent.
According to ARLA, besides the client money protection scheme, other reasons to opt for a letting agent belonging to the group include:
- Members must have professional indemnity insurance to cover landlords against negligence, poor advice or data protection issues
- Members face fines or even expulsion from ARLA for breaching the scheme’s code of practice
- All ARLA members belong to the independent Property Ombudsman Service or Ombudsman Services: Property, offering extra protection for handling complaints
- ARLA members must keep up with legal and procedural industry changes by dedicating a minimum amount of time to training each year
Checking a letting agent belongs to ARLA
ARLA has around 6,500 members, which makes up between a third and half of all letting agents in the UK, according to the Communities and Local Government Department.
Only letting agents who have signed up for the ARLA code can advertise as members – but several rogue agents have displayed the logo on letterheads and web sites without joining.
To verify a letting agent is a member, go to the ARLA web site [Opens in new window] or call 0844 387 0555.
