Award-winning Birmingham surveyor backs call for action on tenancy redress

An award-winning Birmingham surveyor has welcomed a call for a legally-enforced redress scheme for tenants.

Director of Shape Property Management, Natasha Williams, has joined the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors’ call last week (Nov 21) for the UK Government to establish a legal requirement for agents to be members of a dispute redress scheme.

This would provide them with compensation in the case of a dispute, and guard against fraud.

Miss Williams, a Birmingham- based member of the Institute, is a residential property surveyor, at http://www.shapeproperty.co.uk/ specialising in block management of properties.

She has experience in successfully managing inner city issues, by working to improve satisfaction and empowerment among apartment and flat tenants, by fast-response repairs, and encouraging their involvement and awareness of regulations.

She said:  “I am already a member of a self-regulated redress scheme, but it is important that we are all regulated within the lettings industry, so that clients can trust us, knowing that there is adequate cover to protect their money.

“Urgent action by the Government to enforce redress will give happier communities, by weeding out ‘cowboys’ and providing a catalyst for positive changes in the relationship between tenants and managers.”

Rented homes have become the property industry's 'Wild West' and consumers are being put at risk according to the report last week from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. Peter Bolton King of RICS pointed out that letting agents needed no qualifications to set up an agency.  This had led to a lack of awareness about legal rights and contracts, both for landlords and tenants.

Bolton King revealed concerns around above normal charges and agents illegally taking client funds. He recommended that the UK government establish a legal requirement for agents to be members of a dispute redress scheme.

• Anyone can set up a lettings agency without qualifications, or understanding the rental process. Agents are not required to conform to a code of conduct, provide safeguards or register with a government-approved redress system.
• The lack of accessible information on lettings agent’s legal requirements has allowed a situation whereby the majority of tenants surveyed in England (66 per cent) did not even receive an inventory when moving into a property.  This lack of awareness can lead to renters facing extortionate fees or unfair terms. The results of the survey suggest renters have come to expect this level of service.