Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 10 July 2014, Official Report, column 407W, on housing, what plans his Department has to disseminate the code of practice for the management of residential property to (a) people who manage residential property and (b) tenants.

Seventeen industry bodies, covering the majority of the sector, have already agreed to abide by the code of practice. The code not only explains what is legally required when letting and managing property in the private sector, but also provides a model for best practice. Members of any organisations which have signed up to this code agree to abide by its contents, giving tenants assurance of a good service, driving up standards in the sector. We expect those who have signed up to the code to promote it with their members and customers but this will be supported by my Department for example through a link in the How to Rent Guide, ensuring that it is used as a measure of good practice by the three approved redress schemes and references to the code in regular communication activities.