Selective Licensing accreditation requirements

Accredited landlords or managing agents will receive a discount on the stage two licence fee providing:

1. The application is duly made by 30 November 2022; or
2. The application is duly made up to 4 weeks before, OR up to 12 weeks after the property becomes licensable, and is submitted with evidence (see below); and
3. All relevant safety certificates are submitted; and
4. The landlord or managing agent (with full management control) holds accreditation at the time they apply and ensures accreditation is held throughout the licence.

What is a duly made application?

The application form and declaration must be completed and stage one fee must be paid for the application to be considered duly made.

What evidence is required as proof that the property became licensable up to 4 weeks before or 12 weeks after the application date?

Acceptable evidence that the property only became licensable within 12 weeks of the application date includes land registry / statement from solicitor to confirm the property was purchased within the past 12 weeks or copies of tenancy agreements showing a tenancy start date within the last 12 weeks.

What safety certificates are needed?

• Gas Safety certificate, if gas installations provided by the landlord in the property. This is an annual certificate required by the The Gas Safety (Installation and Use) Regulations 1998.
• Electrical Installation Inspection and Testing Report stating the installation is satisfactory. From 01 April 2020 under The Electrical Safety Standards in the Private Rented Sector (England) Regulations 2020 , private landlords have been required to ensure the electrical installation in the residential premises is inspected and tested at regular intervals by a qualified person with an inspection interval of no more than 5 years.
  • NB – if the certificate is “unsatisfactory” with C1 or C2 items then you must supply written evidence that the C1 / C2 items have been repaired or obtain a new certificate
• Energy Performance Certificate, at Band E or above unless:
  • There is a Registered Exemption for EPC regulations; or
  • The property is exempt from the requirement to have an EPC e.g. the property does not require an EPC because it has not been marketed

What accreditation schemes do you accept?

Landlord managed properties (where the landlord does not employ a managing agent with full control)

• Accredited member of National Residential Landlord Association (NRLA)
• Accredited member of Guild of Residential Landlords
• Oxford City Council Landlord Accreditation Scheme (OCLAS) or ATLAS Accreditation & Training for Landlords and Agents Service (includes London Landlord Accreditation Scheme and other local authority schemes in the south east)
• Accommodation Managed and Controlled by Educational Establishments on the Approved Code of Practice
• We also accept membership of the following schemes, however you need to have a property in their area to join:
  • DASH (East Midlands area)
  • Midlands accreditation scheme

Where the managing agent has full management control

Either

• the licence holder can be accredited as above

or

• the managing agent is accredited with one of either:
  • ARLA
  • Safeagent and in addition, the agency must have one person holding the Level 3 Award in Residential Letting and Property Management
  • UKALA and in addition, the agency must have one person holding the Level 3 Award in Residential Letting and Property Management
  • National Code of Standards for Larger Developments for University Accommodation NOT managed or controlled by University Establishments

NB: ARLA membership requirements include the Level 3 Award however the Safeagent and UKALA schemes do not include the Level 3 Award as a requirement.

We therefore no longer offer OCLAS membership to agents. A list of accredited agents under the above schemes has been published on our website. 

• A letting/managing agent who acts on behalf of landlords, should reach a higher standard of accreditation than a landlord who manages their own properties. This reflects the recommendations of the Regulation of Property Agents Working Group. To be eligible for the incentive on a specific property, agents must hold a full management agreement with the landlord 
• If a person is a letting agent or managing agent as per the property redress scheme, they fall under the agent accreditation requirements. 
• If a person is not a letting or managing agent as per the redress scheme, they fall under the landlord accreditation requirements.

The requirement to belong to a property redress scheme only applies to agents carrying out lettings or property management work ‘in the course of business’. Some examples  which would not come under the definition of ‘in the course of business’ are set out below: 

• someone looking after the letting or management of a rented property or properties on behalf of a family member or friend who owns the property/properties, where the person is helping out and doesn’t get paid or only gets a thank you gift; 
• a friend who helps a landlord with the maintenance or decoration of their rented properties on an ad hoc basis; 
• a person who works as a handyman or decorator who is employed by a landlord to repair or decorate their rented property or properties when needed; 
• a landlord who looks after another landlord’s property or properties whilst they are away and doesn’t get paid for it; 
• a joint landlord who manages the property or properties on behalf of the other joint landlords (NB even if the person is receiving a wage, this would still be informal because they are only managing properties owned within their own business)
• a business or charity who owns property and employs a person to manage the portfolio – the business/charity is not letting out other people’s property so they are not acting as an agent for someone else.

If I have a Scottish accreditation (or from Wales or Northern Ireland) then will you accept these?

No. We looked at these schemes in the consultation. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have different regulations on private renting and for that reason we will not accept accreditation from Scotland, Welsh or Northern Irish schemes. 

I am an OCLAS Accredited landlord. Will this be valid until it expires and then do I need to apply for the new ATLAS scheme?

Yes, your current OCLAS accreditation continues and when it expires, at that point you apply to ATLAS or become accredited with another acceptable accreditation scheme as outlined above.

Is there a penalty for not being accredited?

No, accreditation is optional. A landlord or agent can choose if they wish to undertake an accreditation course. There is a discount for accredited landlords but there is no obligation to gain accreditation.