Propertymark has welcomed the Manchester Good Landlord Charter, but said property agents should have a clearer role in the initiative.
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, launched the voluntary scheme for both private and social landlords to commit to a set of rental standards that aim to go beyond what is required by law.
This is expected to raise standards in the Manchester rental market.
Propertymark said the charter should be more clear about the role of property agents and allow letting agents to be members. It said this was particularly important, as research from Greater Manchester Combined Authority showed over 40% of tenants used a letting agent.
The trade body said the scheme had the potential to progress the sector and engaged with Burnham during its consultation.
Propertymark has also written to all elected mayors asking them to consider a greater role for letting agents if they plan to replicate the charter in their own areas, after Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve Rotheram, and the West Yorkshire Mayor, Tracy Brabin, both proposed similar initiatives in their manifestos.
Propertymark said letting agents are more likely to be able to prove they have accreditation and training than individual landlords, and offer transparency on rent allocation, signpost information, and meet necessary standards.
Additionally, they are legally required to join a government-approved redress scheme and possess Client Money Protection, which supports the renter protection raised by the charter.
Tim Thomas, policy and campaigns officer at Propertymark, said: “The Good Landlord Charter, in its proposed form, will be a missed opportunity to engage with letting agents. It is important to all involved that they demonstrate good practice, but so far, the Good Landlord Charter for the Greater Manchester area only includes private and social landlords.
“It is disappointing that there is no current provision for agents to engage with this process. Propertymark will continue to promote the Good Landlord Charter but remain keen for agents to play a much great[er] role within the process.”
Shekina is the deputy editor at Mortgage Solutions and commercial editor at Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions. She has nearly eight years of experience in the B2B publishing market, having previously covered the hospitality, retail, pet, accounting and jewellery sectors.
Shekina has worked for Mortgage Solutions and Specialist Lending Solutions for almost five years. Here, she covers the market’s breaking news stories, engages with professionals in the sector, and oversees any commercially agreed content in partnership with mortgage-related companies.
This includes presenting webinars and hosting roundtable discussions on developing themes in the mortgage sector.
She is an NCTJ-trained journalist and was nominated for the Headline Money Awards Mortgage Journalist of the Year in 2021.
In her spare time, Shekina likes to read, travel, listen to music and socialise with friends.
She currently reports on current events in the mortgage market and liaises with financial clients to produce sponsored content.
Follow her on Twitter at @ShekinaMS
