Landlord Training Wales, a division of welfare services company A19 Secure Solutions, has partnered with Gower College Swansea to provide an in-class training course designed to help landlords secure the qualifications they will need by law to manage properties in Wales.
The classroom based training will be held at regular intervals and will complement online training courses offered by Landlord Training Wales, which is enjoying a surge in demand as the deadline for compliance creeps closer.
By November 23 2016, landlords and letting agents in Wales will have to register with government body Rent Smart Wales and complete a mandatory training course to obtain a licence. This can must be done either direct with Rent Smart Wales or via an approved training provider, such as Landlord Training Wales. Failure to comply with training requirements will become a criminal offence under The Housing (Wales) Act 2014.
Different types of licence and training are required depending on the role of an individual. Individuals would complete either landlord or agent training depending on what type of licence they are applying for. Those who do letting and management work as part of their employment will also need to apply for either a landlord or agent licence.
Following successful training by the individual, a license will last for five years. It is estimated that more than 100,000 individuals in Wales will need to complete one of the options by November this year, leading to a surge in demand for both online and classroom-based courses.
Alex O’Brien, director of A19 Secure Solutions and Landlord Training Wales, said the move to partner with the college and offer a classroom-based option was done based on increasing demand for the company’s courses.
“The change in the law represents a huge step in making residential lettings a more credible, trusted sector. We have embraced the need for training in the sector via our online portal but we realised there are many individuals who would prefer to learn in a classroom environment.
“We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Gower College Swansea to provide this course. With so many landlords in Wales, we want to be able to provide the most comprehensive training and help them further their understanding of their industry. This is an ideal opportunity for landlords to carefully consider how they manage their properties while also achieving the necessary qualifications to comply with the law.”
Landlord Training Wales was the first Rent Smart Wales approved provider to offer this course both online and within a classroom. The first training day took place on Thursday 5th May.
PR: A19 Skills