The 19th of September 2025 represents 37 years David has worked in the property industry. I was a young 28 year old when I started and could never have foreseen the way that decision would take my life.
Essentially lettings is nothing to do with property, it is really a people business. This is something that legislators often miss. Good landlords and agents have a good relationship with their tenants. There needs to be mutual respect, and landlords need to understand that tenants are the customer. Likewise, just as you should not expect shoppers to steal from the shop, tenants need to play their part in the success of this relationship.
I actually let my first properties before the Housing Act 1988 was even in force (it started in 1989). It is quite interesting how the Renter's Rights Bill is changing rent arrears to three moths of arrears before section 8 on ground 8 can be used. This was exactly the rule that was contained in the 1988 version of the legislation, and it was only changed by the amendments of the 1996 act. We have gone full circle, deciding three months of arrears was too long, then deciding two months' arrears was too short. Is this because the market and those involved have changed in their attitudes and behaviour, or just a policy shift?
How things have changed over the time. Funny to think mobile phones did exist, but the first one I used was nearly the size of a car battery and had a separate handset. Interestingly they went smaller and smaller, until we wanted screens and then they started growing larger again, a strange parallel to the above rent arrear example. Most of us would be lost without our mobiles these days.
As we are on the cusp of the Renter's Rights Bill coming onto the statute books, it is interesting to see the concerns being expressed, and in some quarters near panic. When we ran our first courses on the RRB last autumn and asked a room of agents or landlords who had served section 21, it was common to find none, or few, who had actually had to rely on it. Most of those who had served the notice were for breaches of tenancy that will still exist under the new rules. I suggest 95% of the day to day activities of letting a property won't change, we will still have to deal with the people. I accept the 5% where notice is needed, it will be more difficult, but this will just make it even more important to choose your tenants carefully. Just what I said above, this is a people game, the best landlords/letting agents are not those with a detailed knowledge of the law, they are those who are the best at working with and influencing people.
Thanks to all those who have helped us along the way and here is looking forward to another 37 years of Training for Professionals helping landlords and agents in letting properties (though I can't promise to be here for all of that time!)