The UK’s rental sector is one of the most quickly evolving out there. Keeping up with ever-changing rules and legislation can often feel like an entire job by itself. Thankfully, landlords associations in the UK help to appease this issue and several others by providing a network of peers, contactable experts and a range of other benefits to their members.
Irrespective of what stage in the landlord journey you’re at – whether you’re a total beginner or a seasoned veteran – landlords associations can benefit everyone.
Why Join a Landlords Association?
Regardless of whether you’re new to residential letting with a single property or you’re an experienced landlord with an impressive portfolio, there are plenty of reasons to join a landlords association. We’ve gone over 7 of the biggest landlords association benefits below.
A snapshot of the best reasons to join a landlords association
- You can resolve potential issues quickly and easily by taking advantage of the expert help offered by landlord associations
- The accreditation that comes with membership will show tenants that you meet professional standards to earn their trust
- Membership gives you access to all sorts of helpful resources and templates
- You’ll be kept up to speed on the latest developments and law changes so you aren’t caught out or fined
- You may be eligible for a range of offers, such as discounted landlord’s insurance and industry training events
- Landlord associations speak on behalf of their members and aim to influence policy to benefit landlords
- Online forums and networking events give you the chance to meet and share knowledge with other landlords
Next, we’ve gone into each of these points in more detail.
1. You can resolve potential issues quickly and easily
All landlords associations will offer free advice, either by email or a telephone helpline. The availability of this help when compared to solicitors or similar services are superb. Because landlords associations deal with the same problems on a daily basis, they’ll be well versed in getting you what help is needed.
2. You’ll have a better reputation and more credibility
Arguably the biggest benefit that a landlords association can offer is accreditation and the trust that comes with it. Having the correct certificates that show you meet professional standards will go a long way in giving your tenants peace of mind.
This is becoming more and more important, as savvier tenants actively seek out trustworthy landlords who are able to meet and uphold a certain standard.
3. Landlords associations offer a wealth of information
Membership to a landlords association will give you access to all sorts of free resources, including guides and lawyer-approved templates. This makes it much easier to get hold of numerous important documents like tenancy agreements, eviction notices and rent increase notices.
4. You can avoid penalties and fines
Keeping up with landlord law can be exhausting (not to mention time-consuming). Missing one of the latest changes can result in a large fine for unsuspecting landlords. For example, not supplying an annual Gas Safety certificate can result in a hefty £6,000 penalty or 6-months imprisonment.
Landlords associations help keep their members up to speed with any incoming legislation and which certificates landlords are required to provide. All landlord associations will provide clear and concise explanations as to your legal requirements. Not only is this a time-saver, but it’ll also help relieve any stress surrounding making an unfortunate mistake.
5. You’ll also be eligible for discounts and other exclusive benefits
Some landlords associations go one step further by offering various discounts aimed at benefiting landlords. These could include trade magazine subscriptions, discounted rates on contents and landlord’s insurance policies, industry training events and even commercial discounts with local trades or suppliers.
6. Landlords associations aim to represent their members’ interests
Landlords associations campaign on behalf of their members in an attempt to speak for the industry as a whole. They do this by engaging with policymakers at different levels (such as national government, along with local and regional political institutions). Providing one unified landlord voice gives a much better chance of seeing genuine change that’ll benefit landlords.
7. Learn from other landlords
Many professional bodies and associations have online forums and regularly run networking events. These give landlords a chance to share knowledge and experience with one another.
Landlords Associations in the UK
Below, we’ve listed some of the UK’s biggest landlord associations. If you’re looking for a local landlord association then we’d recommend searching as there are plenty of other associations aimed specifically at landlords in a certain area.
| Landlord Association | Website Address + Contact Email |
|---|---|
| Scottish Association of Landlords | https://scottishlandlords.com/ info@scottishlandlords.com |
| iHowz Landlords Association | http://ihowz.co.uk/ Peter.Littlewood@iHowz.uk |
| Devon Landlords Association | https://devonlandlords.co.uk/ enquiries@devonlandlords.co.uk |
| Association of Local Landlords Wessex | http://www.allwessex.co.uk/ rob@allwessex.co.uk |
| York Residential Landlords Association | https://yorkrla.co.uk info@yorkrla.co.uk |
| Cornwall Residential Landlords Association | http://crla.org.uk/ crlawp@gmail.com |
| Portsmouth & District Private Landlords Association | https://pdpla.com/ membership@pdpla.com |
| Wrekin Landlords Association | http://www.wrekinlandlords.co.uk Bpm.lewis@btinternet.com |
| The British Landlords Association | https://thebla.co.uk/ info@thebla.co.uk |
| Leicester Landlords Association | http://www.leicesterlandlords.com/ leicesterlandlordsassociation@hotmail.co.uk |
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) is the biggest in the UK. Memberships start from £50 a year for a basic account and can reach £184 for a single business account. Other options are available such as family accounts and discounts when signing up for three or five years.
The NRLA is the most popular choice for landlords operating within England and Wales. For Scotland however, the most common choice is the Scottish Association of Landlords. Memberships start from £90 a year. Another choice is the Landlords Association Northern Ireland, with annual membership beginning at £75.
Landlords Association FAQs
What does a landlords association do?
Put simply, a landlord association acts as a support network for residential landlords and letting agents. They’re hubs that are full of resources and provide landlords with the means to seek help or practical advice. This can include tenant-related problems or any landlord-related rights and responsibilities. Landlords are also made aware of any new landlord regulations and what needs to be done for compliance.
Larger landlords associations are able to offer telephone and email assistance, along with additional resources like downloadable templates for making your life that much easier.
Should I join a landlords association?
It seems as though the range of benefits offered by a landlords association – particularly one of the larger ones – does outweigh the relatively low membership fees. When you consider the useful functions that they can offer; including representing the wider interest of landlords and helping them keep up-to-date with upcoming and new policy changes, the membership costs actually seem fairly reasonable in general.
How do I join a landlords association?
Unfortunately, you can’t just join a landlords association for free. Basic annual membership fees cost between £50 and £90. Because there aren’t any contracts involved, it’s simply a case of choosing a membership level that suits your needs and situation. The majority of larger landlord associations will have a website that you can sign up through, whereas smaller ones may need an email or phone call to join.
What’s the cost of joining the national landlords association?
Though there are admission fees, landlord associations really aren’t that expensive. Most have varying levels of membership to pick from, including individual/basic, business and family options. Basic fees tend to be around £50 to £90 a year (or around £4 to £7 a month), while business schemes can cost between £150 to £200 a year (or around £12 to £17 a month).
The National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) costs £75 to £85 for a basic landlord membership and £155 to £170 for a business membership.
Which landlords association should I join?
Joining the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) probably makes the most sense as it encompasses several parts of the UK and its size means that much more extensive customer support can be offered. Alternatively, if you’re living in Scotland then the Scottish Association of Landlords will serve a similar role, as will the Landlords Association Northern Ireland.
While local landlord associations that serve specific areas do have their benefits in knowing the region/city/town better and can provide a more personalised service, the range of overall benefits and availability for help will be less.
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