Landlords have given the go ahead to the merger of the two largest landlord organisations in England and Wales.
Members voted in favour of the amalgamation of the National Landlords Association (NLA) and the Residential Landlords Association (RLA) at a meeting on Tuesday, approving the launch of a single trade body that aims to deliver a united voice for landlords in the private rented sector.
The new National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) will have a membership of more than 80,000 landlords and, combined, NRLA members will own and manage half a million properties, equating to about 10% of the private rented sector.
The new organisation is planned to launch officially on 1st January 2020 and until then both the RLA and NLA will continue to operate independently.
The two chairs, Alan Ward of the RLA and Adrian Jeakings of the NLA, said in a joint statement: “We are delighted that landlords have backed plans for a new, stronger body to represent them and their interests.
“The new organisation will have a more powerful voice to support landlords, provide services to them and to lobby government.
“Both organisations will now move forward together to appoint a new chair and directors for the NRLA. We will be seeking candidates internally and externally and we would welcome expressions of interest from members for these posts.”
News of the merger was announced earlier this month in a move that both parties said would offer “major benefits” to landlords at a challenging time in the PRS.
In a joint statement at the time, Ward and Jeakings said: “We will be stronger together when presenting a unified voice to government both nationally and locally about the importance of supporting the majority of landlords who do a good job providing the homes to rent the country needs.”
