April Fool's Day - Deadline for Key Legislative Change
1st April is a day for Fools, a day of practical jokes and hoaxes. April Fools’ Day spread throughout Britain during the 18th century. In Scotland, the tradition became a two-day event, starting with “hunting the gowk,” in which people were sent on phony errands (gowk is a word for cuckoo bird, a symbol for fool) and followed by Tailie Day, which involved pranks played on people’s derrieres, such as pinning fake tails or “kick me” signs on them.
Of late it appears that the Government feel this day is significant and has bought Legislation into force on the 1st April, no pun intended we hope.
Client Money Protection (CMP)
The Housing and Planning Act 2016 introduced powers allowing the Government to bring in legislation making membership of an approved or designated CMP scheme mandatory and in 2018, the Government announced regulations that would require all letting agents in England to belong to an approved CMP scheme by 1 April 2019. The deadline for the regulations was then extended to 1st April 2021.
What does this mean?
By 1st April 2021, all Letting Agents in England must be able to prove they have CMP in place. The approved providers of CMP have been in place for almost 2 years and therefore, there should be no surprise that this is a mandatory requirement. It is also important to remember, regardless of whether working from home or not, that the transparency rules relating CMP must also be adhered to.
Fixflo welcomes leading EICR providers to new contractor marketplace
Fixflo launches a brand new ‘contractor marketplace’ this week with leading property services companies, Prop Cert and Vibrant. Claiming to be the easiest way to find electricians for fixed wire tests, the new service enables agents to access reliable, qualified and affordable electricians directly within their Fixflo system.
The on-demand service lets users book a new EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) with just a few simple clicks and have an EICR completed within 5 days of a request. With Fixflo’s Contractor Marketplace, agents can source electricians for urgent EICRs across the UK, with weekend and evening appointments available to minimise access issues. The providers can also carry out the necessary remedial works right away or provide quotes if the cost of works will exceed the agent’s authorisation limit.
New electrical safety regulations require all rented homes in England to have a valid EICR by 1 April 2021. Despite the ongoing pandemic, the Government has not announced any extensions for the impending deadline. With just months to go, agents are advised to begin their compliance audit and phase their EICR appointments amidst the Covid-19 emergency to take into account delays caused by changing public health measures.