Accreditation application form

• One-off administration fee £50+VAT (£60) payable on submission of an application.
• Annual accreditation subscription £155+VAT (£186) for a single office firm. For firms with more than one office each additional office pays £77.50+VAT (£93).

For firms who do not currently have CMP in place, this will also be due as detailed in step 7 of this form. Should your firm either withdraw the application or fail to meet the criteria to become accredited, the administration fee is non-refundable.

You can pay by BACS or forward a cheque when you submit your application.

BACS payments should be made to:
Account Name: Approved Letting Scheme Ltd
Sort Code: 51-50-14
Account No: 80162452
Cheque payments made payable to Approved Letting Scheme Ltd.

The applicant undertakes to the Approved Letting Scheme Limited T/A safeagent that the applicant’s office(s) as detailed on this form will:

1. Only offer and provide residential lettings and management services which at least meet the standards which have been prescribed (and which I have read) by safeagent and agree to provide clients with a written statement setting out the services our firm provides and the charges.
2. Maintain and operate an appropriate customer complaints procedure which meets the requirements of safeagent and the redress scheme of which you are a member.
3. At the request of the client complainant refer the complaint to a redress scheme once your firm’s in-house complaints procedure has been exhausted and comply with any award so determined within the timescale prescribed by the Scheme.
4. Pay the annual subscription fee and Client Money Protection contribution within one month of the due date. In the event of a firm terminating their accreditation or having their accreditation terminated by safeagent, the annual subscription and Client Money Protection contribution is non-refundable.
5. Maintain Professional Indemnity Insurance to comply with the requirements described in this form.
6. Supply an Accountant’s Report annually within 6 months of the firm’s financial year end satisfying that the firm is complying with the safeagent Accounting Standards for the handling of Client Money.
7. Maintain membership of a recognised Client Money Protection Scheme.
8. Display the Scheme’s logo where customers can see it and in the event of its withdrawal or removal* from the Scheme, nonetheless fulfil the terms of the safeagent accreditation in relation to clients with whom terms of appointment for residential lettings and/or management services were agreed after the applicant joined the Scheme and discontinue use of all material relating to safeagent.
9. In the event of expulsion from safeagent, the applicant firm acknowledges and agrees that, in the event of ceasing to be accredited by the Scheme as a result of any breach by the applicant of the undertakings set out above, the Approved Letting Scheme Limited T/A safeagent may:
• contact any relevant authority (including the Competition and Markets Authority and any Trading Standards Officer) of the fact of cessation of the applicant’s accreditation and the circumstances surrounding such cessation; and/or
• publish the fact of the cessation of applicant’s accreditation (and the circumstances surrounding it) by such means as the Company considers appropriate.
• inform the statutory tenancy deposit schemes and Redress Schemes of the termination of the firm’s accreditation.

Expulsion from safeagent

A firm’s safeagent accreditation may be withdrawn in any of the following circumstances in order to uphold the Scheme’s integrity and credibility:

1. If a firm does not comply with the prescribed safeagent Service Standards.
2. If a firm no longer has Professional Indemnity Insurance.
3. If a firm is no longer covered by a Client Money Protection Scheme
4. If re-registration fees have not been paid within one month of the due date.
5. If the firm fails to meet the requirement to provide an Accountant’s Report within 6 months of the firm’s financial year end or, for new firms, fails to provide an Interim Accountant’s Report 6 months after joining the Scheme.
6. For firms becoming safeagent accredited through affiliation with another regulatory organisation, ie where the firm has a principal, partner or director who is a member of PropertyMark, UKALA or RICS - if membership of the body through which the firm joined safeagent has lapsed been suspended or terminated.
7. If a firm does not comply with any other safeagent accreditation criteria.
8. If the safeagent Board decides upon withdrawal of the accreditation following a referral by the safeagent Chief Executive in the following circumstances or any other circumstances the safeagent Chief Executive considers appropriate:
• Where there is evidence of a firm having a high number of complaints.
• Where a firm fails to comply with a request from the Board to give an underaking to comply with the terms of the Scheme.
• Where a firm refuses to give an undertaking requested by the Chief Executive in relation to non-compliance with safeagent Service Standards following a random customer service audit.
• Where a firm has an unacceptable Accountant’s Report showing failure to comply with safeagent Accounting Standards.
• Where there is evidence of a false declaration on the firm’s application for a safeagent accreditation or on any other material submitted to safeagent on an annual basis

In the event of expulsion from the Scheme, safeagent Chief Executive will notify the firm’s Local Authority or withdrawal of the accreditation. safeagent reserves the right to publish details of expulsions through the media.

Acknowledgement

The applicant firm acknowledges and agrees that, in the event of ceasing to be accredited by the Scheme as a result of any breach by the applicant of the undertakings set out above, the Approved Letting Scheme Limited T/A safeagent may:

1. contact any relevant authority (including the Competition Markets Authority and any Trading Standards Officer) of the fact of cessation of the applicant’s accreditation and the circumstances surrounding such cessation; and/or
2. publish the fact of the cessation of applicant’s accreditation (and the circumstances surrounding it) by such means as the Company considers appropriate.
3. inform the statutory tenancy deposit schemes and Redress Schemes of the termination of the firm’s accreditation.

Declaration

I DECLARE that to the best of my knowledge and belief:

1. that statements set out in the application form are correct
2. I have read and understood and agree to abide by the terms of safeagent accreditation as set out in the application form.

This will be sent to you by the safeagent office for signature by all Principal, Partners and Directors.

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