Propertymark has urged the UK Government to extend qualifications applicable to property managers in the social rented sector to those working in the private rented sector too.
The news comes as MPs have suggested that safeguards to save tenants in social housing from damp and mould in the midst of the passing of a two-year-old child should be enacted for the private rented sector too.
Propertymark has argued that the first step to bring the private rental sector in line with the social rental sector and ensure that there are fairer standards and protections for consumers overall, would be to enact the proposals laid out in the 2019 Regulation of Property Agents Working Group Report.
Lord Best’s 2019 report called for industry licensing and qualifications to be enacted.
Awaab’s Law is named after Awaab Ishak, who passed away in December 2020 due to prolonged exposure to mould in his home in Rochdale triggering a respiratory condition.
Under the law, social housing landlords would have to make immediate repairs within 24 hours.
Social landlords would have to investigate hazards within 14 days and begin repairing them within an additional seven days under the proposals.
The proposals, which are currently being consulted, have been embraced in a report by the House of Commons’ Health and Social Care Committee but politicians argued the UK Government should extend the safeguards to the private rental sector.
Timothy Douglas, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Propertymark, said: “The first step to levelling the playing field for tenants regardless of where they rent is for the UK Government to extend the requirements for property managers in the social rented sector to be qualified to the private rented sector. Recommendations have been set out in the Regulation of Property Agents Working Group Report and a clear roadmap to regulation would not only drive-up standards and protections for consumers but support with the implementation of the Decent Homes Standard as part of the Renters (Reform) Bill.”
