CIH Scotland announces findings of evaluation on the impact of letting agent qualifications and CPD

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland has today published the findings of an independent review of qualification and training requirements for letting agencies - showing they have improved practitioner professionalism.

Last year CIH Scotland appointed Indigo House to evaluate whether the existing mandatory continuous professional development (CPD) requirements for letting agents:

• had enhanced and professionalised practice by letting agents;
• can be further improved for letting agents and tenants; and
• signals lessons for other parts of the rented sector.

This evaluation, funded by SafeDeposits Scotland Charitable Trust, provides the first authoritative examination of the regulation of letting agencies in professionalising practice and their rationale for the CPD requirements.

It sets out the benefits of investing in housing qualifications and ongoing professional development to improve practice across the whole rented sector- letting agents, private landlords and social landlords. The report also captures the feedback of landlords, letting agents and crucially tenants as well as looking at all available data sets in making its determinations and recommendations.

Callum Chomczuk, national director for CIH Scotland said:

“Housing qualifications and CPD improve practitioner practice. That is the ultimate conclusion of this report. Legislation passed in 2014 ensured letting agents in Scotland became the only part of the housing sector where it is necessary to hold a relevant qualification and undertake additional training and it is clear it is improving the work of letting agent sector.

“Given the findings in the report we believe now is the time for the housing sector and the Scottish Government to recommit to a principle of housing education and CPD across all tenures and consider how it can be adopted in a proportionate and impactful way.”

You can read the report here.