SAFE announces industry wide support for its new consumer focussed campaign, which promotes a simple mark denoting letting firms that protect landlords’ and tenants’ money through client money protection schemes.

Hugh Dunsmore-Hardy, Winkworth Legal & Compliance Director, comments:

“Winkworth is a founder firm behind the SAFE agent initiative and have provided practical and financial support in launching the SAFE kitemark.

The kitemark will act as an alert for Landlords and tenants as to whether or not their monies are safe and not to use a letting and management agent that does not have Client Money Protection cover  (CMP). Winkworth franchised offices that have affiliated with NALS or one of the other recognised industry organisations will be able to register in support of SAFE but  as each office is independently owned and operated it is important to check details of the industry organisation and the level of CMP cover they have”.

Support for SAFE has already been extremely encouraging with positive comments from the industry and wider:

The Council of Mortgage Lenders:

“The CML is pleased to support efforts to raise awareness of schemes designed to protect landlord client monies held by letting agents. We therefore welcome the campaign, co-ordinated by NALS, to offer a single mark to identify agents in Client Money Protection insurance schemes to raise awareness of the risks of using an “uninsured” agent.”

The Residential Landlords Association: Alan Ward, chairman

“A clear and recognisable brand will help build confidence with landlords as well as tenants who place large sums of money on trust with professional letting and management agents.  It will place the onus on agents operating without CMP to answer the question “why not?”

British Property Federation

“This campaign brings home to landlords that their money is a lot safer with some agents than others. We want professional agents to prosper at the expense of rogues and therefore have no hesitation in supporting the campaign. We would encourage agents to join in their throngs and landlords to remember the old adage ‘you are better SAFE than sorry’.”