New partnership calls on private landlords and property agents to meet decency standard and provide well managed properties in Cornwall
A new online resource for private landlords and letting agents is being launched to help raise property and management standards in Cornwall.
A partnership between Cornwall Council, local housing professionals and landlord representative groups has created The Cornwall Responsible Landlord Scheme.
The scheme is being introduced to support private landlords and lettings agents to offer safe, well managed and better quality accommodation whilst keeping up to date with what the law requires of them.
The rented sector has expanded dramatically in the last decade and in Cornwall there is a thriving private rented sector offering high standards and well managed accommodation across the County. However sitting alongside the good there is the bad.
It is believed that in the region of 20,000 rented properties in Cornwall do not meet the proper standard, often presenting risks to tenants.
To help with this the scheme introduces the Cornwall Rental Standard, a new rental standard for the private rented sector designed to support landlords to identify and address the most common hazards found in dwellings and reduce the harm that they can cause.
The partnership encourages all private landlords and letting agents operating in Cornwall to register on the scheme using a simple online process where the address of the rented property is not asked for. Please go to www.cornwall.gov.uk/responsiblelandlord
Joyce Duffin Cornwall Council cabinet member for Housing and Environment said: “I believe that Cornwall Council is striking the right balance between regulation and support by introducing this scheme. Many improving and existing good landlords can take advantage of the support this scheme offers to help them find the right path through what is sometimes a very muddy pool of available advice, guidance and legislation for the private rented sector.”
Ruth Clarke, Cornwall Residential Landlord Association said: “CRLA welcomes and encourages the initiative to promote good landlords in Cornwall. The amount of legislation and regulation surrounding the private rented sector can be confusing meaning that both new landlords and those with many years of experience need guidance and help at times. We look forward to working with our partners in this scheme and seeing an improvement in the standard of accommodation offered to tenants.”
Iain Maitland, South West Landlords Association said “South West Landlords Association believes in and will help promote Local Authority initiatives which educate landlords, letting agents and tenants. Landlords who know and observe their responsibilities deserve recognition.
Ken Staunton from the National Landlords Association said: “The National Landlords Association (NLA) supports initiatives that aim to improve standards within the private rented sector and we believe that the Cornwall Responsible Landlord Scheme (CRLS)) will contribute greatly to raising awareness of landlords’ responsibilities. The CRLS offers sound advice and guidance and will hopefully serve as a first step towards more landlords achieving accreditation while professionalising approaches within the sector.”
Linda Spelman, representing the Association of Residential Letting Agents said: “ARLA is fully supportive of initiatives aimed at raising professional standards across the private rented sector. We have campaigned widely for more appropriate regulation of letting agents for a number of years and therefore welcome these knowledge-based initiatives”.
Membership for this voluntary registration scheme is free and applications can be submitted online, find out more at www.cornwall.gov.uk/responsiblelandlord
Anyone who would like to find out more about the scheme or has any questions please email: rlsc@cornwall.gov.uk