May 2011 sees the launch of the Private Rented Sector Accreditation Scheme (PRSAS).
PRSAS provides a voluntary accreditation scheme for landlords and letting agents involved in the private rented sector (PRS).
During these times of budget cuts for local authorities, PRSAS provides an easy “approval” option, all of which can be dealt with on-line meaning local authorities can save money.
The Private Rented Sector Accreditation Scheme is run by the Guild of Residential Landlords (GRL) in partnership with Training for Professionals (TFP).
The Guild of Residential Landlords has been established for over 30 years (known as Guild from 2000) and operates nationally. The brand is aimed at providing top class service and accurate legal advice on all matters relating to landlord and tenant law.
Training for Professionals exclusively provide the training for the highly successful Welsh Landlords Accreditation Scheme and also provides training to the London Landlords Accreditation Scheme. PRSAS is therefore well suited to running an accreditation scheme with years of experience.
The combination of the Guild operating as a national organisation offering help and advice to landlords and TFP providing training courses including webinars on a national basis makes the National Landlord Accreditation Scheme perfectly placed in operating a national accreditation scheme.
The scheme is based upon the well established ANUK model including code of conduct for landlords.
Both landlords and letting agents may achieve accredited status through PRSAS in addition, PRSAS are also the only private organisation to offer an accreditation scheme for tenants.
PRSAS hopes that the operating of an accreditation scheme nationally will bring some consistency to accreditation schemes throughout England meaning landlords and agents can operate in different areas but still have unified accreditation status.
A development course must be passed either on-line or by an attendance based course in order to achieve accreditation. Landlords or agents must also be a fit and proper person. Landlords and agents sign up to a code of conduct which achieves higher than minimal legal standards.
Landlords or agents already holding accreditation through another scheme can be passported into PRSAS for free.
Tenants can be sure that if they seek accommodation from an PRSAS accredited landlord or agent, they will have passed development courses and declared themselves as being fit and proper.
Further details about accreditation can be found at https://prsaccreditation.com.
Further information about accreditation in general can be found on the Accreditation Network UK website (ANUK)
