Landlords and letting agents face more legal requirements According to the Residential Landlords Association, there are currently over 100 rules and regulations governing letting a property in the private rental sector. Some of the continuing changes are good news; others will simply end up adding more regulation that good landlords and letting agents will abide by and rogues will ignore. As few local authorities have the resources to monitor rogue landlords, fine them and take them to court, all this regulation is, in practice, doing little to curb their activity. One of the good changes, which is confirmed and likely to be implemented next April, is that all letting agents will have to belong to an ombudsman scheme. This means that if you, as a landlord, have a complaint against an agent that they don't solve to your satisfaction, you can go to an independent third party, such as The Property Ombudsman Scheme, who will consider your complaint. It was recently announced in the Queen's Speech that landlords will be made responsible for checking that tenants are in the country legally before letting a property to them. Initially, all landlords had to conform, but changes now suggest this law will only be applied in "problem areas" around England. Unfortunately, while this kind of increased regulation could be a good idea, it's unlikely to have an impact on rogue landlords unless extra resources are forthcoming for local authorities to enforce it. To keep up to date with implementation of this new law, visit the www.gov.uk website. At a local level, many authorities are either implementing or considering selective licensing - Oxford, Salford and Gateshead are just three that already have. This allows them to manage private landlords more closely (for example, via the Housing Health and Rating System) and to charge for compulsory licensing, and gives them additional powers to act against failing landlords. The main problem with licensing, from a landlord's perspective, is that it costs hundreds of pounds per property for the licence and increases on-going maintenance costs. Meanwhile, rogue landlords appear to continue to operate, regardless, offering cheap rents that law-abiding landlords have to compete with. Some landlords have successfully fought against selective licensing in their area and the Residential Landlords Association has provided some useful guidance on how to query the local authority's application and input into the consultation process. Finally, in 2018, the government can make it illegal to rent properties with an Energy Performance Certificate rating of F or G. Although this doesn't affect you now, with opportunities such as the Green Deal and grants available, it's sensible not to wait to make energy efficiency improvements. And, don't forget, the lower the tenants" utility bills, the more money they have to pay their rent. To keep up with latest lettings legal changes, consult a quality letting agent who is already a member of an ombudsman scheme, or join a landlord association or local authority accreditation scheme. Join The Property Club to receive exclusive tips and advice on becoming a landlord