LETWELL Programme
Partnership between Landlord Accreditation Scotland (LAS) and CIH Scotland

LETWELL Programme

LETWELL, is the professional development programme delivered via a partnership between Landlord Accreditation Scotland (LAS) and the CIH Housing Academy (CIH).

The programme which was created specifically for Scottish letting professionals, takes full account of the Scottish Government’s regulation of letting agents and associated training requirements for specific staff within agencies.  Information on who needs to undertake training is detailed here.  The relevant legislation is the Letting Agent Code of Practice (Scotland) Regulations 2016, Section 1 (5).  The programme reflects the requirements on agents and incorporates learning which can lead to the CIH level 3 certificate in letting and managing residential property.


LETWELL is a programme committed to learners not only acquiring knowledge, but reflecting on their own practice as letting professionals and enhancing their contribution to their business and to good practice within the sector. With that aim in mind, each of the five training courses comprising the programme has a clear set of learning outcomes, and content will be continually updated in line with relevant legislative and policy changes.

As a letting professional, gaining a qualification is not only a route to compliance with the regulation, but also a great way to ensure that you are able to perform your role to a high standard, provide an excellent service for landlords, and develop your knowledge of key legislation and best practice to demonstrate your skills and knowledge.

High quality training programmes and qualifications not only benefit individual development, but add value to lettings businesses and can impact on reducing business risks in respect to regulation and compliance. Demonstrating that staff have high quality learning can enhance your reputation with customers looking for high quality service.

Who is LETWELL for?

The LETWELL programme, comprising a series of virtual training sessions to assist completion of five units of learning and three written assessments, is for letting agency staff requiring an accredited qualification. There is no exam.

The online format was introduced in 2020 to account for restrictions linked to Covid-19, with positive feedback from learners highlighting the revised programme is still as supportive as it always has been.

When can I participate?

The full training programme will run again early 2022 and be delivered virtually over five training courses. Specific course dates will be confirmed in Autumn 2021, although we envisage commencing the programme in January 2022. To participate in the LETWELL programme, it is necessary to attend all training sessions.

How much does the training and qualification cost?

Landlord Accreditation Scotland is pleased to offer two different payment options for the training component:

  • Option 1: Pay for all 5 training courses upfront and receive a 10% discount
  • Option 2: Pay as you go – Pay for course 1 upfront, pay for courses 2 and 3 combined, and courses 4 and 5 combined.

Exact costs for 2022 are to be confirmed, but for illustrative purposes, the tables below show the 2021 LETWELL costs.

Option 1: Pay for all 5 training courses upfront and receive a 10% discount

Learner status Cost per training course Total cost to attend all 5 courses (receive 10% discount) Cost of qualification*
LAS Accredited £123.75 + VAT 

(£148.50 incl. VAT)

 £618.75 + VAT 

(£742.50 incl. VAT)

 £450
CLA member £141.75 + VAT 

(£170.10 incl. VAT)

 £708.75 + VAT 

(£850.50 incl. VAT)

 £450
All others £226.80 + VAT 

(£272.16 incl. VAT)

 £1134 + VAT 

(£1360.80 incl. VAT)

 £450

Option 2: Pay as you go

Learner status Cost per training course Total cost to attend all 5 courses (pay as you go) Cost of qualification*
LAS Accredited £137.50 + VAT 

(£165 incl. VAT)

 £687.50 + VAT 

(£825 incl. VAT)

 £450
CLA member £157.50 + VAT 

(£189 incl. VAT)

 £787.50 + VAT 

(£945 incl. VAT)

 £450
All others £252 + VAT 

(£302.40 incl. VAT)

 £1260 + VAT 

(£1512 incl. VAT)

 £450

*Please be advised that registering for the qualification incurs a £450 fee charged by the CIH Housing Academy (no VAT payable on the qualification assessment). The fees payable to the CIH Housing Academy are in addition to the fees paid to Landlord Accreditation Scotland to attend the five training courses.

All training and qualification fees are payable in advance. The programme providers reserve the right to vary programme fees from those advertised.

Fees are discounted for members of the Council of Letting Agents (CLA) as a benefit of this associations partnership with LAS. To qualify for the discounted rate, you must provide your CLA membership number and in case you select the pay as you go option, your CLA membership must be valid at the time of each payment.

 
What can LETWELL programme participants expect?

The programme consists of five training courses, each course comprising three virtual training sessions (webinars), each 90 minutes long. The content for each course is delivered over three consecutive days, and for most learners attendance of the full programme will be spread over approximately 5 months.

What’s covered in each of the training courses?

Here is a summary of what you can expect to cover during the five training courses that comprise the LETWELL programme.

Professional practice for letting agents

Learning outcomes

What you will cover
  1. Understand the terms of business with landlords, tenants and agents.
  • Common terms of business between landlords and agents.
  • Legislation which impacts on the relationship between agent and landlords and tenants.
  • Codes of practice and ethics that impact on the relationship between agent, landlord and tenant.
  1. Understand business development opportunities.
  • Key concepts in business development for letting agents.
  • Potential opportunities for cross selling and referral opportunities.
  1. Understand how to assess own performance.
  • The concept of ‘reflective practice’ for letting professionals.
  • Reflection on your own practice.
  • The role of feedback in improving performance.

Letting residential property

Learning outcomes

What you will cover
  1. Understand different types of tenancies.
  • Common tenancy types in Scotland
  • Comparisons of different types of tenancy agreements
  • The legal rights and responsibilities of landlord and tenant.
  1. Understand how to prepare a property to let.
  • The key areas of a market appraisal and advice required from agents.
  • How a property should be prepared for letting.
  1. Know how to market properties for let.
  • The relevant codes of practice and consumer protection law and how this applies to marketing property.
  • Procedures for advertising property and arranging viewings.
  1. Understand the requirements for selecting a tenant and setting up a tenancy in Scotland.
  • Selecting and verifying a prospective tenant.
  • The law and necessary documents required in setting up a tenancy.

Ending tenancies of residential property

Learning outcomes

What you will cover
  1. Understand how a tenant can end the tenancy.
  • The process required when a tenant legally ends the tenancy.
  • The process required when a tenant abandons the property.
  1. Understand how a landlord can end the tenancy.
  • Legislation on notice requirements.
  • The process required to end tenancies including serving legal notices to end tenancies.
  1. Understand the legal process for a landlord to obtain possession.
  • The stages in applying to court for possession.
  • How landlords can avoid actions for harassment and illegal eviction.

Property standards of residential properties

Learning outcomes

What you will cover
  1. Understand the legislation relating to property maintenance and repair.
  • Health and safety legislation for property that is let.
  • The landlord’s repair and maintenance obligations.
  • Tenants’ obligations to the repair and upkeep of the property.
  1. Understand procedures for property maintenance.
  • Undertaking routine inspection and maintenance.
  • Dealing with emergency repairs.
  1. Understand the definition of a house in multiple occupation (HMO) and the extra responsibilities this places on landlords.
  • What defines an HMO
  • The additional health and safety and repair requirements that apply to HMO’s.
  1. Understand licensing schemes and the extra responsibilities they place on landlords.
  • The scheme of HMO licensing in Scotland

Tenancy management for residential property

Learning outcomes

What you will cover
  1. Understand the financial aspect of letting a property.
  • Reviewing the rent.
  • Processes for collecting rent and managing arrears.
  • Assessing other costs involved in letting a property.
  1. Understand how agreements can change during the tenancy.
  • Options available to landlord and tenant to make changes to an agreement during the tenancy.
  • How changes to the agreement should be processed.
  1. Understand how tenancy issues are prevented and resolved.
  • Identifying problems that may arise during a tenancy.
  • Tackling common problems.
  • Preventing common problems.
How do I book onto the courses?

To enrol in the LETWELL programme, you have to commit to attend all the necessary training dates.  Dates for the full programme in 2022 will be released in Autumn 2021.

If you are interested in the 2022 LETWELL programme and would like to be added to our priority booking list, thereby ensuring you are the first to be notified once bookings open, please contact the Landlord Accreditation Scotland team on 0131 553 2211 or [email protected].

What qualification can candidates expect?
cihscotland

Programme participants wishing to undertake the assessments leading to the CIH Level 3 ‘certificate in letting and managing residential property’, will be registered for the qualification through the CIH Housing Academy as the approved qualification centre. The CIH Housing Academy is responsible for delivery of the qualification within the LETWELL programme.

Attendance at all training sessions comprising the programme within a single 5 month period is normally a requirement on learners undertaking the qualification.

Candidates have to successfully complete all written assessments to be considered for the award of the CIH Level 3 ‘certificate in letting and managing residential property’. Currently, there are three written assessments designed to cover the five qualification units.

Candidates will have online access to a learner handbook detailing all policies and procedures. Candidates will also have remote access to their assessor for the duration of their studies on the programme. Candidates will be expected to submit assessments electronically and by the deadline set for each assessment, except in exceptional circumstances. The CIH Housing Academy will however put in place reasonable adjustments designed to help reduce the effect of a disability or difficulty that places the learner at a substantial disadvantage in respect of assessment.

The issue of certificates to successful candidates can take in the region of 12-14 weeks from their final assessment submission deadline, although every effort will be made by the CIH Awarding Organisation to ensure certificates are issued to candidates as quickly as possible.

Candidates who successfully complete this qualification may wish to consider progressing to a CIH Level 4 qualification. Details of CIH qualifications can be found on the CIH website.

Landlord Accreditation Scotland Terms and Conditions
CIH Housing Academy Terms and Conditions
LETWELL Webinar Etiquette Guidance
Frequently Asked Questions