The Law Commission report "Encouraging Responsible Renting" has been given a cautious welcome by the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). 

However they say local authorities may find the proposals difficult to deliver. The report calls for the regulation of letting agents, industry-wide standards and accreditation schemes for landlords. 
ARLA believes the report is an as an opportunity to bring all lettings agencies under the provisions of the Consumer and Estate Agents Redress.  This provides powers for compulsory redress for clients and bans unprofessional and dishonest Estate Agents from trading.
ARLA already has mandatory housing standards and codes of management practice for landlords, as called for in the report. 
The Commissioners have suggested that the Office of Tenants and Social Landlords could operate for the private sector and proposed separate housing standards and monitors for housing standards in England and Wales.  ARLA is concerned by this proposal because the level of expertise available for the PRS, as opposed to the Social Sector, is different. 

Single code

"We must start with a single code and a single set of standards.  Otherwise we will end up with different monitoring for different standards," said Ian Potter, Head of Operations for ARLA.
"That is why the professional bodies have already set up the Industry Standards Board."
The same reservations over implementation and monitoring apply to landlords' registration, where it will up to the local authorities to monitor accreditation and home conditions.
Mr Potter added: "If we are not careful we will end up with each local authority setting and implementing its own rules, its own monitoring practices and its own cost structures.
"We have seen this already with Housing, Health and Safety Standards.  This legislation exists but in many areas has already failed due to lack of action by the local authorities."
ARLA believes that the most practical method to improve standards where necessary is to treat the letting of residential property as a business and says there should be capital allowances and other fiscal incentives to bring about improvements in the rental stock.