If you’re a private landlord or letting agent in Northern Ireland, you may have already heard about – or perhaps even attended – the Chartered Institute of Housing’s ‘Learning 2 Let’ training programme, which has been running across Northern Ireland for 18 months now.
Essentially, Learning 2 Let is a training programme, developed and run by CIH Northern Ireland which is aimed specifically at private sector landlords and letting agents, in order to make the private sector better for everyone.
But not only does this 3-day course lead to a Level 2 qualification, it also costs just £100 as a result of the bursary support provided by the Department for Communities.
Interim report produces fascinating insights
A recent interim and fully independent evaluation of the programme to date, has revealed some eye-catching findings which indicate a strong desire amongst private sector landlords & letting agents, to increase their industry knowledge in order to provide a better service:
• 73% (44 out of 60 respondents), cited “expanding their knowledge” as their main reason for taking part
• 91% stated that the training they received increased their knowledge in issues relating to their role as a landlord or letting agent, with 85% of this total agreeing that they were able to apply the new knowledge they had gained
• 91% stated that they were more confident about the legalities of renting, as a result of the training course, 91% also said they were confident about complying with regulations, and 74% agreed that their confidence in dealing with their tenants had increased
• Finally, 78% agreed that completing the training programme has resulted in an improved service delivery to their tenants
In terms of the landlord profile, demographic make-up, and professional motivations, the findings were equally revealing:
• 46% of landlords surveyed have been in the sector for more than 11 years
• 82% of landlords surveyed gave financial reasons for becoming a landlord, while just 14% classed themselves as an “accidental landlord”
• 14% of landlords owned just one property, 21% owned two, and 33% owned between 3-5 properties
So what are the key takeaways?
1. Feedback from 67% of total respondents reveals a strong demand for learning, training, and upskilling amongst private landlords:
The findings show a clear desire amongst landlords to increase their knowledge, to better understand the law and their obligations to comply with it, and to become more customer focused, in order to deliver a better service to their tenants.
2. Almost half of private landlords amongst this sample (46%) have been operating in the sector for over 11 years:
This suggests that, contrary to popular opinion, most private landlords are not in it for quick short term gains, but are instead in it for the long haul, and should be encouraged to keep on learning, developing, and improving
3. 67% surveyed said they have changed their practices in their role as a landlord, as a direct result of undertaking the Learning 2 Let training course:
This finding shows that private landlords are overwhelmingly keen to learn, find new / better ways of doing things, and change their processes for the benefit of both themselves and their tenants.
If you are interested in finding out more about ‘Learning 2 Let’, please contact Trevor Wright, learning and development officer, on 028 9077 8222 or email trevor.wright@cih.org
