It was introduced to protect landlords and tenants while eradicating poor quality housing. It states that it will 'help raise standards (where this is needed) and help build a more effective Private Rented Sector that meets the needs of tenants, landlords and letting agents'. Read the Code of Practice...
Fact sheet: The Letting Agent Code of Practice (Scotland) Regulations 2016
The Housing (Scotland) Act gives powers to the Scottish Government to create a Code of Practice and introduces new rules, which all letting agents must follow. Read this fact sheet to see how the code of practice affects you.
Fact sheet: The Letting Agent Registration (Scotland) Regulations 2016
The Housing (Scotland) Act was passed on 1 August 2014 and sets out the Scottish Government’s plan to improve levels of service and professionalism from letting agents.
Study programmes
Propertymark Academy is the home of education and training for property professionals offering enrolment to specialist, regulated study programmes which you can complete flexibly through distance learning.
Training courses
Propertymark Academy courses cater for everyone no matter what stage you are at in your career. They are delivered by industry experts and cover a large variety of property-related subjects.
Mygov.scot
Visit the Scottish Government website's letting agent registration guide for more information on how to apply, training, qualifications and how to renew your registration.
Joining the Letting Agent Register
Qualifications and training
Registration requires evidence that everyone in your business (who needs to) has the relevant qualification covering the essential aspects of residential letting. The qualification must be SCQF Level 6 or above.
Propertymark Qualifications is one of four training providers approved by the Scottish Government. If you achieved the Level 6 Award in Residential Letting and Property Management within the last three years then you meet the training requirement. You will need to do 20 hours additional training if you passed the qualification over three years ago.
Fit and proper persons test
Everyone applying to be on the register will need to meet the standards laid out in a ‘fit and proper person test’. If you apply on behalf of your company, the Scottish Government may need to conduct the test on multiple people within the company.
Client Money Protection (CMP) and professional indemnity insurance
All agencies must ensure they hold client money in a dedicated client account. Many agents have found that banks and building societies provide ARLA Propertymark members easier access to dedicated accounts. You must also belong to a Client Money Protection (CMP) scheme and hold Professional indemnity insurance. Our CMP scheme meets the levels required in the Code of Practice.
What happens if i do not register?
It is a criminal offence to carry out letting agency work in Scotland if you are not on the register—with the possibility of fines of up to £50,000 and prison sentences of up to six months for those convicted.
Application fees
The application fee is for a three-year registration and the fee you pay is determined by the number of offices your business has where letting agency work is carried out.
Related news
Scottish Government update framework for letting agent compliance
Requirements and expectations have been clarified in an update provided to Scotland’s private rented sector (PRS), particularly on training and registration.
Advice on joint tenancies in Scotland
Since the introduction of the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016, agents have had to adapt to working with the new Private Residential Tenancy (PRT) and get to grips with what that means for them on a day to day basis. One issue that was raised as a potential problem was how to deal with joint tenancies under a PRT where one tenant wants to leave.
RoPA news
Peers call for urgent progress on RoPA and short-term lets
Amendments to the Renters’ Rights Bill discussed on 12 May 2025 highlight growing support for the regulation of property agents (RoPA), including professional standards and mandatory qualifications, as well as increasing awareness of the market imbalance between the private rented sector (PRS) and holiday lets. Led by Lord Best and backed by senior peers, the amendments sought to push the UK Government to take faster action, referencing Propertymark’s campaign positions on both these key issues.
Why commonhold isn't that common and how that's about to change
The UK Government has committed to banning the sale of new flats on a leasehold basis and reforming the legal framework for commonhold, so it becomes the default and preferred tenure. It will also become easier for existing leaseholders to convert to commonhold, although the complexities of this may take longer to work out. Few agents in England and Wales have experience with commonhold, as less than 20 developments currently exist, so Propertymark has broken down some key parts of the proposals to help members understand the change.