Industry Bodies

ARLA — The Association of Residential Letting Agents

The Association of Residential Lettings Agents (ARLA) is a professional membership and regulatory body for letting agents and letting agencies in the UK. ARLA recognised the requirements of the residential lettings market were so detailed and specific that a separate organisation was required to promote standards in this important sector of the property industry.

NAEA — The National Association of Estate Agents

The NAEA is the UK's leading professional body for estate agents. Their main functions include regulating, guiding and assisting property professionals across a wide range of disciplines. They also work to make the housing market safer and easier to use when you are buying a home or selling your house.

NALS — The National Approved Letting Scheme

The National Approved Letting Scheme is an independent licencing scheme for lettings and management agents. The NALS logo offers peace of mind to landlords and tenants in knowing that any firm bearing it agrees to meet defined standards of customer service, is part of a Client Money Protection Scheme and has a customer complaints procedure offering independent redress.

RICS — The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

The Law Society of England and Wales

The Law Society of Scotland

The Law Society of Scotland is the professional body for Scottish solicitors. They were established in 1949 and are financed by their members without any funding from Government.

Safe Agents

SAFE – Safe Agent Fully Endorsed is a mark denoting firms that protect landlords and tenants money through client money protection schemes.

There are several schemes in the sector operated by ARLA/NFOPP, the Law Society, NALS and RICS to which agents voluntarily belong. The scope of these schemes varies and you should contact your agent for full details of the scheme of which they are a part.

Trading Standards

The Property Ombudsman

The Property Ombudsman came into being on 1 May 2009. Formerly, the Ombudsman for Estate Agents (OEA), the name change was made to reflect the broader jurisdiction in relation to complaints they are now able to deal with — for example sales, lettings, commercial and overseas.

The British Property Federation

The British Property Federation is a membership organisation devoted to representing the interests of all those involved in property ownership and investment.