Buy to let landlords and tenants 'at risk'

13 August 2009

Written by Steve Olejnik

Landlords with buy to let mortgages, as well as the tenants who live in their properties, are at risk from rogue traders in the private rented sector, an industry expert has warned.

Association of Residential Letting Agents (Arla) operations manager Ian Potter said that the government needs to clamp down on unscrupulous individuals operating in this part of the housing industry.

By combining the regulation of residential sales, lettings, and management agents, Mr Potter thinks "a firm professional basis for this sector" can be achieved.

"We estimate that around half of letting agents still do not belong to a professional body," he added. "This poses a risk to new landlords as well as tenants."

Meanwhile, the National Landlords Association has highlighted a number of problems with the Communities and Local Government department's plans to introduce a landlord register, saying too many differing views exist in the individual countries within the UK.

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