Private rented housing
Landlord accreditation schemes
When looking for a property, look out for landlords that are accredited by a landlord accreditation scheme, such as the National Landlords Association Accreditation Scheme.
To become accredited, landlords must attend training to learn about best practice for landlords, housing legislation, and what is expected of them.
They must also sign a legal declaration to say they are a fit and proper person to be a landlord.
Finally, they must sign a code of conduct that commits them to:
- act in a fair and reasonable way and to respect the rights of tenants to peaceful and quiet enjoyment of the property
- give tenants 24 hours‘ notice when access to the property is required
- provide tenants with a tenancy agreement, inventory, details of how the deposit will be managed, and contact information for the landlord
- not harass tenants
- ensure all accommodation is in a reasonable state of repair and has adequate fire safety amenities
- attend to repairs and defects promptly