Member Article

More questions for “cowardly” property watchdog – and still no answers!

A North property expert has branded property regulator ARLA “cowardly” after it continued to refuse to answer questions about the collapse of a firm it had vetted or even acknowledge his offer of a public debate.

It is now 6 months since Essex firm Charterhouse Professional Property Services went into liquidation - leaving behind almost 100 creditors owed £750,000.

The company was regulated by lettings watchdog ARLA, leading to Ajay Jagota of North East lettings business KIS Lettings to publically ask “what use is a Watchdog that doesn’t bark?”

Two months ago, KIS asked ARLA to confirm how many creditors in the case had been repaid, how it had overseen Charterhouse and whether it was reviewing its procedures in light of the case.

ARLA declined to answer due to “legal complexities”.

It is also one month since Jagota invited ARLA CEO Ian Potter for a public debate on the future of regulation in the lettings industry.

To date, no contact has been received from ARLA.

This week a rent-to-rent agent who apparently disappeared with tenants’ deposits but has resurfaced at an ARLA-registered firm.

Daniel Burton of the apparently collapsed Unida Place agency in London has this week emerged as owner of a Whitegates franchise in Scunthorpe. Whitegates are ARLA-registered.

Ajay who manages properties for 700 landlords from branches in North Shields, South Shields, Sunderland and Welwyn Garden City still hope ARLA take the opportunity to prove their systems are robust.

He said: “This week I will be speaking at the Landlord and Letting conference, and I had hoped to use the opportunity for an open and honest discussion with ARLA boss Ian Potter – and the fact he has recently announced his retirement means he doesn’t exactly have much to lose from accepting.

“The fact no-one from ARLA has even been in touch to even say ‘no’ just seems cowardly.

“Tenants and landlords put their trust in the ARLA brand and it is in their interests as much as anyone else’s to prove that trust is deserved and that their systems work. I’m at a loss to explain their unwillingness to take that opportunity.

“To add insult to injury now another disquieting case emerges, again with ARLA involvement. And I won’t stop asking until I get answers.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ajay Jagota .