RLA : Your Residential Landlords Association - RLA Default HTML description  rla.org.uk

Associations & Trade Bodies On the left hand side of this page you will find details of links to Associations, Trade Bodies, Interest Groups in the areas of property, tenants and accommodation.... In the United Kingdom there are quite a few established trade bodies and the associations that look after the interests of its members such as landlords, letting agents and estate agents A trade association may have many functions including the creation, management and overseeing of professional standards, standard processes and ethics of its members. This may also include encouraging non members to become authorised to as a member of the association by undertaking professional training or exams. Property buyers or tenants will have a greater degree of confidence if they can see that the agent that they are dealing with is a member of a recognized professional association by trade body. Associations have also look after the interests of its members with regards to national regulatory issues. In particular the lobbying of government with regards to any issues that may increase the cost of doing business as an agent or policies impacting on the selling process or public perception of members. For instance, the home information pack has been a divisive and contentious issue amongst agents in the UK. As a result, associations have consulted with government of regards to the best way to implement this government policy. Another example is in the area of of tenancy deposits and the changes in law with regards to the responsibilities of landlords. By developing professional standards and continually providing information and a good quality service to end users, associations provide an invaluable service. These standards are required in a mature property market and needed to maintain a sense of price stability as well as prevent sharp practice or unprofessional behaviour. Examples of the major of associations of are shown in the link section on the left hand side of this page.