Accreditation Pack

The City of Wolverhampton Council aims to improve the quality and quantity of properties for rent in the private rental sector, to help provide a better housing options to people in the City.

We recognise the positive contribution of the Private Rented Sector (PRS) and wish to coordinate and extend the support we provide to Accredited Landlords in the provision of professionally managed good quality rental accommodation.

The Rent with Confidence Accreditation Scheme is aimed at working with the Private Rented Sector to improve the standard of property conditions and management of private rented stock in the city. The RwC scheme works in partnership with Landlords and Managing agents to drive up property conditions and management standards, thus providing gateway to widen the choice for residents & tenants.

Accreditation is a mechanism for helping landlords or agents to meet agreed standards of competence, skills and knowledge about the business of owning, managing or letting a private rented accommodation, and a public recognition of having met that standard.

Accredited members are able to demonstrate their knowledge, training, skill and intentions to manage properties & tenancies in line with best practice resulting in a satisfactory customer base.

This scheme & the approach will significantly contribute towards driving up the standards in the PRS in Wolverhampton.

Aims of the scheme are to:

• commit to partnership working.
• support landlords to become “accredited” and “recognised” in providing a good property standard & management service in the PRS in Wolverhampton.
• encourage, acknowledge, raise awareness of and actively promote good standards and management practices in the PRS, and to assist landlords and tenants to undertake their respective responsibilities to each other.
• support landlords to increase the supply of good quality accommodation in the area, while reducing the number of empty, unused properties within the Borough.
• provide opportunities for partnership working, training, business development and networking.
• increase the percentage of decent homes in the City.
• enable tenants to obtain information about, and access to, better quality accommodation.

In addition to the training and continual professional development, The Rent with Confidence scheme will offer a support system so that people in the lettings market are aware of their responsibilities in terms of tenant management and housing standards.

A percentage of all rented properties registered with this RwC accreditation Scheme are checked to ensure they offer a satisfactory level of health and safety and assistance is offered, where necessary, to address any issues found.

Tenants benefit from the reassurance that a Wolverhampton RwC accredited landlord will strive to provide a quality service.

Accreditation offers the private rented sector a means of ‘self regulation’; that is to say Wolverhampton RwC scheme accreditation scheme is not an enforcement body. Our success comes from working in partnership with a range of other services/partners to help raise housing standards.

This link provides (include ANUK, NRLA, GOV UK, ETC) you with information about Accreditation and the benefits of having standards that are compliant with statutory obligations and good practice.

The information is consistent with current legislation and as agreed with landlords and other stakeholders involved in the development of the scheme. (Check the scheme Rental Standard) and (Wolves Landlord Forum)

Landlords who are welcomed onto the scheme are expected to commit to these Terms of Reference so please read through the information and keep this document for reference or contact the Rent with Confidence Lead Officer with any queries.

We look forward to welcoming you as a member of the RwC accreditation scheme and confirming your access to all the membership benefits.