Leeds landlord Chris Town has become Chairman of one of the UK's leading professional associations for landlords.

Chris takes the reins of the Residential Landlords Association with months to go before the implementation of the Government's new Housing Act - forecast as 'the biggest upheaval in housing legislation for over 25 years'.

"With Government legislation forcing so many changes, it's going to be one of the most challenging periods that most landlords in the country have ever faced," he says.

Chris was born and raised in Pudsey and originally trained as an electrician. After leaving the electrical industry he was, for five years, a partner in a Crossgates electronics business before he went into property - initially by converting a terraced house at Armley into flats.

The partnership CJ Properties, which he runs with his wife, Susan, has a portfolio of 28 single and multi-let houses and flats in the city's Crossgates, Beeston, Armley and Horsforth areas. They are currently starting the conversion of a Victorian detached property in Crossgates, formerly a dental surgery, into five modern apartments.

CJ Properties expanded in the late 90s and, seven years ago, Chris became the founding chairman of the South Leeds Landlords Association - "because landlords did not have a voice to represent their views," he says.

In 2000 it became part of the national Residential Landlords Association - whose members own over 100,000 rented properties in the UK - and Chris became a director.

"Our mission," he says, "has always been to provide the training and support that enables landlords to become better informed and more professional … which benefits tenants too.

"Landlords who don't understand how to manage a tenancy can be a danger to themselves as well as the people who rent from them - but our update courses are recognised by many local authorities around the country for encouraging the professional development of private sector landlords."

The Residential Landlords Association (tel: 0845 666 5000) is a leading national organisation for professional landlords, residential property investors and self-managers - with members owning over 100,000 properties in the UK private rented sector. The range of members' services - on www.rla.org.uk - includes legal advice, insurance, financial services, credit referencing and training. For tenants there is www.tenantdocs.co.uk - where tips include a free download of the RLA's award-winning Plain English tenancy agreement. The RLA operates a web-based property search on www.homes2rent.net and publishes the bi-monthly Residential Property Investor magazine.

For further press information and interviews please contact

Brian Johnson at Powell Communications - tel: 0161 834 9836, fax: 0161 839 2660; brian.johnson@powell-pr.co.uk