Tenants need protection from 'dishonest landlords'
2nd September 2009
Landlords guilty of exploiting vulnerable tenants have come under fire from industry bodies.
The National Landlords Association (NLA) claims that a number of landlords are falsely claiming to be members of professional organisations that adhere to a code of practice.
In order to combat the problem, the NLA has launched a database designed to allow tenants to check whether their future or current landlord is correctly claiming to be a member.
Commenting on the launch, operations manager at the Association of Residential Letting Agents (Arla) Ian Potter said that the organisation was launching its own licensing scheme.
He said: 'Exploitation of vulnerable tenants by a small minority of landlords undermines the professionalism of the broader sector.
'As the body representing the UK's licensed lettings agents, Arla would offer strong backing for a database of landlords - another important step in ensuring that the nation's tenants are protected.'