Lettings Qualifications are Not a Silver Bullet

By Eddie Patricio

Two thirds of letting agents have no formal property qualification.

That sounds alarming. But is it, really?

The figure comes from the Lettings Industry Council (TLIC), which reports that 65% of agents surveyed held no property qualification, as it renews calls for greater regulation, mandatory competency standards and professionalisation of the lettings industry.

I happen to be part of the other 35%.

I completed my Level 3 qualification through an apprenticeship route and I do have the letters MARLA after my name. I took the qualification because I wanted to learn, improve my knowledge and become better at what I do.

I am glad enough that I did it.

But do I truly believe that making every letting agent sit a qualification would, by itself, transform standards across the Private Rented Sector?

Actually, not really.

A qualification is useful. But it isn't proof of competence.

It also doesn’t raise moral standards on its own. There is a danger of confusing two slightly different things.

Why lettings experience also counts

Qualifications can provide a good foundation. They can push you to study areas that you might otherwise overlook or not have yet come across in your day-to-day, test your understanding, and demonstrate that, at a particular point in time, you have reached a certain level of knowledge.

Those are all worthwhile things.

But anybody who has spent years actually managing tenancies will also know just how much of the job cannot be learned from a textbook.

It comes from handling the difficult conversations. Dealing with maintenance problems at the worst possible moment. Understanding how to communicate with landlords and tenants. Spotting the small issue that has the potential to become a much bigger one. Knowing when you need advice rather than pretending you know everything.

It comes, in other words, from experience.

Interestingly, while TLIC's research found that 65% of respondents had no property qualification, it also found that 62% had been working in the industry for more than 15 years.

That doesn't automatically mean they are all excellent agents, of course. But nor does the absence of a certificate automatically mean that they don't know what they are doing.

Equally, having a qualification doesn't guarantee that somebody is good at what they do, or ethical in their actions.

The problem with a constantly moving target

There is another difficulty with treating qualifications as the answer to standards in lettings: the law does not stand still.

The regulatory landscape has changed massively during my time in the industry, with the Renters' Rights Act now being implemented and accelerating change once again.

You can complete a qualification and demonstrate a perfectly good understanding of lettings law today, but legislation, guidance and best practice may continue to evolve.

That doesn't make the original qualification worthless, but it does mean that what happens afterwards matters at least as much.

How does a letting agent keep up with legislative changes? Do they read up on new guidance as it comes through? Do they undertake ongoing training? Do their processes change when the law changes? And, perhaps most importantly, do they recognise when they don't know something and take the time to find out?

We have access to more information than ever before. AI has made it easy to ask a question and receive an answer within seconds, at the click of a button.

That can be useful within reason – we are all becoming aware of the dangers of AI, and its answers are not always as honest and correct as they purport to be. But some simple risk assessment and an AI policy that emphasises fact-checking can mitigate that risk. We use technology ourselves in this way.

But access to information isn't the same as understanding it, and neither is the same as knowing how to apply it properly to somebody's home or investment.

Knowing what you don't know remains one of the most important professional skills there is. Having the earned and lived experience to implement what you learn is another.

What do landlords actually look for?

There is another side to this debate that often gets missed, or perhaps ‘dismissed’: the matter of what landlords themselves want from their letting agent.

In my experience, very few – if any – have ever begun the conversation by asking what qualifications I hold.

They want to understand whether we are competent. Whether we will answer the phone. Whether we understand the legislation and keep them compliant. Whether we will look after their tenant and their property. Whether we will tell them the truth when something goes wrong rather than hide from an awkward conversation.

They want transparency, communication, visible effort and good judgement.

My qualification might help underpin the knowledge I bring to a relationship, but truly, I don't expect a landlord to choose Your Home Managed because there is a certificate on the wall.

They choose us because of our actions and experience, not because there is a string of letters after my name.

Perhaps enforcement matters more

None of this is an argument against improving professional standards.

There are bad actors operating within our industry, and they continue to damage its reputation. They need to be lanced. Where landlords and tenants receive poor advice or poor service, and where rules are deliberately ignored, there should be consequences.

My question is simply whether another qualification requirement is the thing most likely to change that?

We already have a substantial body of housing law and regulation governing the Private Rented Sector. The Renters' Rights Act has introduced further obligations and significantly strengthened the enforcement powers available when landlords or agents fail to comply.

The priority now should surely be making sure those rules are applied and, crucially, enforced.

Because let’s face it, an agent who is determined to cut corners will not necessarily stop cutting corners because they have passed an exam.

Effective enforcement demonstrates there are consequences for those who behave that way.

Better enforcement removes what amounts to a competitive advantage enjoyed by operators who save money by ignoring their responsibilities, all while good landlords and responsible agents spend time and money complying with theirs.

That, ultimately, would do more to protect tenants, landlords and reputable agents alike.

Qualification should be part of professionalism – not a substitute for it

I don't regret completing my Level 3. I would encourage anybody coming into lettings to learn as much as they possibly can, whether through formal qualifications, apprenticeships, professional training or working alongside experienced people.

Education is unquestionably a good thing.

But professionalism is bigger than the qualification alone.

It is knowledge combined with experience. Continuous learning through CPD. Keeping up when regulations change. Being accountable for the advice you give and the decisions you make.

It is knowing when to ask for help.

And it is having an industry in which those who repeatedly ignore the rules face meaningful consequences – not just a fine, but ultimately removal.

So perhaps the fact that two-thirds of letting agents don't have a property qualification isn't quite the scandal the headline may make it sound.

The more important question is two-fold: does the person or firm looking after your property know what they are doing, and do they take their responsibilities seriously?

Landlords and tenants, when it comes down to it, don't need an agent who knows how to pass an exam.

They need one they can trust.