The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) and The Residential Landlords Association (RLA) have announced that they have agreed to work together in areas of mutual interest within the private rented sector. This includes political lobbying where both bodies have a commitment to raising the standards in the private rented sector. ARLA has its licensing scheme and RLA its accredited landlord’s scheme. Co-operation could also include areas of research, where at present both bodies sometimes produce complementary statistical information on the private rental sector.

Both organisations have stressed that there are other areas where common interests can be best achieved by working together. But also acknowledge that there are also areas of difference and that the announcement does not represent anything other than that they are ‘working together for mutual benefit’, and that both organisations will remain totally independent.