SALFORD CITY COUNCIL has joined forces with the Residential Landlords Association to broaden its training package, aimed at raising professional standards in the private rented sector and awareness among its own officials.

Caren Kihal, principal officer for housing market support at Salford, said: "We are working together in a mutually productive and beneficial partnership." The council is the founder and secretariat for Authorities and Landlords Improving Standards Together - an accreditation network in the north-west that covers 33 local authorities and organisations, from Oldham, across Greater Manchester to the Wirral, north to Carlisle and south through Cheshire to Nantwich.

Free voluntary accreditation means that landlords can get key updates on new legislation and council policy, on matters such as the new Housing Act, housing benefit regulations and antisocial behaviour legislation. Salford City Council also provides references, a rental bond scheme and a landlords’ forum.

The expanding training and update sessions cover tenancy management issues for both novice landlords and the more experienced.

Kihal said: "The common factor is they may not all know as much as they could about the latest developments in housing and tenancy law.

"This scheme is all about local authorities getting serious and recognising that landlords play an important role. There is no future in the historically frosty stand-off between private sector landlords and local authorities. We can all benefit from working together.

"This is the way forward for better informed professional landlords and council staff. It maintains consistency and value in the local housing market. It raises standards and conditions for everyone’s benefit. And we all do our jobs better."

The RLA already stages specialist landlord updates for local authorities around the country, and recently introduced a new, registered members’ scheme that promotes continuous professional development.

RLA chairman Chris Town said: "It’s important to have a modern generation of landlords who meet the highest values of the profession.

"Local authorities and private sector landlords are often both wanting the same thing - so working together to achieve it makes the best possible sense."

It was the growing threat to Salford’s own housing market that gave birth to the landlord accreditation scheme. Demand was dropping for some properties - so they fell empty and were boarded up because landlords felt they couldn’t get a fair rental value from them. Something had to happen.

The solution to attract tenants was devised by working alongside landlords and developing an accreditation scheme and training package.

The scheme has grown into the first of its kind in the north. It is now one of the largest and probably the most advanced schemes in the country and is a widely recognised model of best practice.

The Salford scheme now has more than 2,300 properties and 500 accredited landlords - accounting for 40 per cent of the city’s private rented sector housing stock and around 45 per cent of the city’s landlords.

A new round of courses, including evening sessions, begins this month (September). For further details, call Salford City Council on 0161 603 4254.