Regional Landlord Accreditation

1
Regional Landlord Accreditation

• Tom Toumazou
• DASH Project Manager

2
Characteristics of a Regional Landlord
Accreditation Scheme

• Open to all landlords throughout a Region
• Recognises that the accredited landlord has the
  basic knowledge and ability to properly manage a
  house in the PRS
• Requires a landlord to have an appropriate
  standard of management
• Requires a landlord to comply with
• statutory requirements

3
Differences from District Schemes

• An RLAS is distinguished from a property
  accreditation scheme because
• Its the landlord that is accredited and not the
  property
• The standards that apply to the house are not
  above those required statutorily
• Acceptance to the scheme is by self certification
• Training or proof of competence is an essential
  part of accreditation
• The landlord certifies that they are a fit and
• proper person to manage a rented house

4
Regional Steering Group

• A Regional Steering Group (RSG) or equivalent,
  needs to be established which owns and oversees
  the RLAS. The members should include
  representatives from
• Local Authority (LA) Housing Standards Office
• Landlord Associations
• Landlords
• Local Scheme Operators
• Tenants
• Shelter
• CAB
• NUS
• CIH
• Tenancy Relations Officers
• The RSG must appoint a Chair and a Secretary.

5
Regional Scheme Operator

• A Regional Scheme Operator (RSO) is the team
  which will perform the duties required to
  establish and administer the RSO.
• It should not be dependant on year on year
  funding or have some certainty of a minimum of
  two years funding, preferably three.
• Sources of funding that have been utilised have
  included
• Market Renewal
• Regional Housing Board
• Mainstream

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Regional Scheme Operator

• The RSO will probably be in post prior to the
  formation of the Steering Group and will carry
  out the preliminary work required to establish
  the Steering Group, including
• Surveys
• Identifying potential members of the RSG
• Organising and Hosting Inaugural meeting
• The RSO will take directions from the RSG.
• The RSO is to aim to be self sufficient in the
  medium to long term.

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Regional Accredited Landlord

• Requirements
• The RAL must be a fit and proper person
• The RAL must have a sufficient level of ability
  to manage a house to the standard required by the
  approved Code of Practise
• The RAL must have a basic awareness of the most
  common Category 1 Hazards.
• Premises managed by a RAL must have no
  known Category 1 Hazards.

8
Proof of Compliance

• THE RSG is to agree the proof required to comply
  with the requirements of the RLAS, this includes
• Fit and Proper Person
• Management
• Hazard Awareness
• RSO may consider requiring all RALs to declare
  their properties.

9
RLAS Requirements

• Fit and proper person criteria for an RAL -
  similar to those required for Mandatory HMO
  licensing
• Code of Practice/ Management Standards.
• All LAs within a region should be offered the
  opportunity to be partners
• The RSO should negotiate and adopt a scheme
  which will get the maximum number of partners.
• THE RSO should sign a partnership service
  level agreement with partner LAs

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RLAS Requirements

• All landlords within a region will have access to
  regional accreditation whether or not there is a
  partnership agreement with the Local Authority in
  which they own properties.
• Local Authorities partners must agree to report
  any complaints against a RAL to the RSO.
• The RSO will provide information on all RALs to
  LA partners.
• Information Sharing Protocols and Agreements
• The RSO to discuss with its partner LAs means of
  ensuring a recognisable distinction between the
  RLAS and the local schemes
• The RSO to create a recognisable image with a
  logo to distinguish between the RAS
  and other schemes

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Compliance Checking

• LAs will have the right to inspect all or any
  houses owned or managed by applicants. They
  should inform the RSO of the level of compliance
  checking and their criteria for deciding whether
  to undertake a check
• Applicants to the scheme must be advised that
  their properties may be checked for compliance by
  the local authority and the criteria for
  compliance checking

12
Approved Code of Practice/Management

• The ANUK model Code of Management Practice is to
  be used as the basis of the approved RLAS Code of
  Practise.
• The adapted code should not be highly
  prescriptive. It can be supported by more
  comprehensive guidance.
• The RSO will use the ANUK/IDeA Landlord
  Development Manual to ensure an acceptable
  level of management

13
Administration and Regulation

• For proper operation and credibility of the
  scheme the RSO must develop the procedures to
  provide
• Verification of the details given on application
• Compliance checking
• Regulation of the scheme
• Enforcement for non compliance

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Procedures

• The procedures to be developed are
• A grievance procedure for non-compliance with the
  schemes requirements with a review system.
  Tenants, LAs and others must be able to initiate
  a grievance.
• Timescale for hearings and appeals
• Notification to tenants that the landlord is an
  RAL
• The details and written guidance of these
  principles and practises should be prepared for
  discussion and agreement by the RSG

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Application Form

• The Application form for landlords to join the
  scheme is to include declarations of
• Fit and proper person
• HHSRS Hazard awareness
• Absence of Category 1 hazards and elimination on
  awareness
• All necessary licenses are held or applied for
  and have not been refused.
• Compliance with the approved Code of
• Practice

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Application Form

• The fit and proper person assessment would
  normally rely on self certification. A CRB check
  would only be made if there is reason to believe
  the application form is not accurate
• The form must take into account the Data
  Protection Act and the requirement to share
  information with Local Authority partners and
  tenants and prospective tenants
• Accreditation will only be given after the
  applicant has successfully passed any tests of
  competence or provides proof of competence to a
  standard agreed by the RSG

17
Training courses

• The RSO is to ensure required training is
  available to landlords
• to attain the level of ability required to manage
  a house to the standard of the approved Code of
  Practise. The ANUK/IDeA Landlord Development
  manual to be given to RALs
• HHSRS awareness training, testing or proof of
  competence required

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Additional Training

• The RSO is to develop additional training schemes
  suitable for the requirements of the RLAS as
  required, to include
• Energy Efficiency - Energy efficiency and
  knowledge of tax concessions for energy
  efficiency should be included as part of the
  management course.
• Fire Safety Awareness of fire safety and
  statutory requirements
• Decency Standard Awareness of the
  Standard