Being a landlord is not easy; there is a lot that you need to know, from buying landlord insurance, acquainting yourself with legislation, plus the responsibilities that go with being a landlord, and all the day to day running costs.
Throughout the United Kingdom this has been recognised by local authorities who are encouraging landlords in the private sector to become part of local landlord accreditation schemes. This is not just designed to benefit the landlords; it is there to help the tenants as well. Local councils and private landlords have been working closely together, sharing information that helps the landlord manage their rental properties. Arranging meetings where landlords get together to discuss any issues which affect them, and setting up voluntary accreditation schemes which will recognise and reward all the landlords who manage their rental properties well appears to be working successfully.
Accreditation is a set of standards which are laid down by an individual authority and apply to the way a property is managed and its condition. Any landlord who decides to join one of the schemes will become an ‘accredited’ landlord, and will then be listed on the local council’s accredited list. This is of benefit to the landlord and prospective tenants. The scheme is voluntary, and there is no obligation for a landlord to join, but when it comes to renting a property they are identified locally as a good landlord, which puts them ahead in the list. Tenants will know that renting a property from an accredited landlord, will mean the property will be in a good condition and the tenancy is going to be managed well.
Some council’s even have grants and loans on offer to an accredited landlord if they need to renovate their property to the standards set out by the scheme. Some schemes even offer accreditation for tenants who agree to stick to certain standards of behaviour such as respecting the accommodation, respecting the neighbours and sticking to the terms of the rental contract.
Obviously having both the landlord and tenant accredited is good for everyone concerned. There are basically two types of scheme, one will accredit the person, and the other will accredit the property and most schemes will combine both elements, for example the scheme will include criteria that relate specifically to the condition of the property, but will also look at the way the landlord has been managing the property.