David Smith, partner at JMW Solicitors and Legal Counsel for the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA), will present a free webinar and dive into new laws and important cases affecting the UK’s lettings industry.

The property law expert, who will present the webinar in partnership with repairs and maintenance software provider Fixflo, is also encouraging registered agents to pre-submit questions ahead of the virtual event.

Among the confirmed topics for the webinar in October is the recent High Court case relating to breathing space and mental health crisis moratoria.

As one of the first court decisions on issues relating to the debt respite scheme, its implications will be discussed by Smith in the live webinar, including potential administrative pitfalls that agents should be aware of when they handle rent arrears.

The webinar also promises to cover key considerations when an agent outsources property management to a third party in order to minimise risks and operate a compliant practice.

Having published a book on data privacy laws, Smith will also give letting agents an overview of the Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) which is set to come into force on 1st November 2021.

The PIPL, which originates from Beijing, will apply to companies and organisations operating inside and outside China due to its extraterritorial properties (similar to the General Data Protection Regulation). The legislation is China’s first major attempt to control data processing practices on people based in China.

Smith said: “If your lettings agency provides a fully-managed service to a Chinese landlord based in China, then the PIPL will apply to you. This could mean extensive implications, from having to appoint a China-based institution to re-acquiring consent from customers. These requirements remind us of the GDPR in a number of ways, including the risk of financial compensations for non-compliant behaviours.”

The webinar will take place between 11am and 12pm on Tuesday 12th October 2021. Readers can participate by clicking here.