Client money protection

This year’s SAFEagent Awareness Week came soon after the news we’d wanted for so long, that client money protection would be mandatory for all agents from 1 April 2019.

Although we’ve achieved SAFEagent’s campaign goal, we knew this year’s awareness week was more important than ever. We wanted SAFEagent Awareness Week 2018 to highlight that SAFEagents were streets ahead, with client money protection already in place. The purpose of the week was also to remind consumers that although mandatory CMP was great news, it wouldn’t be law until next year, meaning their money could still be at risk if their chosen agent didn’t have CMP.

We had superb support for the week, we loved seeing your tweets and pictures along with your promotion in your offices and local press. Along with your efforts, the SAFEagent website also featured different content throughout the week:

• Trading Standards got involved with Effective Enforcement Day, which featured as part of SAFEagent Awareness Week, highlighting the work that trading standards do to protect the consumer in the PRS.
• We featured an exclusive blog from housing charity Shelter, supporting the work of professional SAFEagents who already have client money protection in place and welcoming the new legislation.
• NALS reminded us of the importance of professional development and training to help raise standards in the private rented sector.
• We drew towards the end of the week with a free webinar for agents. Created in partnership with London Trading Standards, the webinar offered advice and best practice to comply with the Consumer Rights Act 2015.
• SAFEagent Awareness Week ended on a high, with a heartfelt message from John Midgley, thanking SAFEagents for their tireless campaigning over the last seven years and reflecting on a job well done! If you missed it, it’s well worth a read.

This year’s SAFEagent Awareness Week was seen across twitter 16,300 times! The trade press covered the week extensively, with Letting Agent Today and Property Industry Eye helping to promote the week, covering Effective Enforcement Day, and later in the week reporting on the free compliance webinar.