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The Repairing Standard is the minimum level of repair a house must achieve to be used as privately rented accommodation in Scotland. It focuses on the building condition but also includes all installations, fittings and furnishings that are provided as part of a tenancy.

We're happy to share that independent estate agent Sarah O'Leary in Hampshire has passed our audit and was compliant on first inspection.

This week, our new chair, Claire Bassett, and Gemma Adams visited registered agents in London to gain insights into daily operations and industry standards.

Government guidance:

Letting agents and landlords should check their EICRs, 5 years after they became mandatory for private rented properties in England. Many EICRs will be due for renewal and should be updated to stay compliant, protect tenants and avoid fines.

@ukhomeoffice Find out what checks you need to carry out:

If you rent your property to someone who doesn't have the right to rent in England, you can get a fine of up to £20,000 for each tenant or face prison in serious cases. @ukhomeoffice has updated its guidance for landlords, letting agents and homeowners.

This week, we're happy to highlight Stephen James Property Services, based in London, for passing our compliance audit on first inspection. We carry out proactive audits to check that businesses have measures in place to help protect consumers.

Our Consumer and Industry Forums gathered today to meet our new Chair, hear about the Renters Rights Bill from Government officials and Project Jigsaw which aims to support local authorities with upcoming rental reforms. We also shared a sneak preview of our new website. 👀

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The Government is consulting landlords, property businesses and leaseholders about leasehold reforms in England and Wales before they are implemented. New rights include more transparent service charges and mandatory qualifications for managing agents.

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The Government has started a consultation about a revised Decent Homes Standard, which would apply to privately rented homes as well as social housing.

Our policy manager Charlotte attended the ARCO annual conference in London this week and met with the body's members working in the integrated retirement community sector.

Lesley Horton has been appointed as The Property Ombudsman and Andy Clachers as CEO after interim spells in the roles. They took up the roles in February with an ambitious programme looking at streamlining casework, greater outreach and a new website.

Estate agents and some letting agents must be registered with @HMRCgovuk for anti-money laundering (AML) supervision or face a fine. Government guidance on who needs to register for AML supervision is linked in the comments below.