Tell us your views on the proposed changes to the Private Rented Sector 

Time is running out to have your say on the regulation of the lettings industry proposed as a result of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2014. These reforms, which aim to raise standards of service and professionalism within the sector, include:

• a mandatory register of letting agents
• a 'fit and proper' person test for agents
• a training requirement for agents
• a statutory code of practice for agents, and a process for tenants and landlords to resolve complaints when letting agents breach this
• increased powers to Scottish Ministers to monitor compliance and enforce regulation.

The Scottish Government's consultation runs until 15 November, so act now if you want to contribute your views. You can find the consultation survey here.

We'd also like to know your thoughts; whether you think that regulation will improve industry standards, and whether you agree with the approach the Government is proposing. Please share your views with us by taking our short survey. We'll be including the results in a consultation submission to make sure the Government fully understands the impact of these changes on you.

Working with LAS to promote best practice throughout the industry

We've been working with Landlord Accreditation Scotland (LAS) to educate landlords and letting agents about deposit protection. LAS's Tenancy Management and Creating Inventories courses provide an overview of tenancy deposit regulations, information on how tenancy deposit schemes work, and advice on writing a detailed inventory plus guidance on how to use it, and an insight into the adjudication process.

So far this year, we've joined LAS for 13 sessions, with five more planned before Christmas. Our Head of Tenancy Deposit Protection, Daren King, commented, "It has given me a great opportunity to travel the country and meet so many landlords and agents. I have thoroughly enjoyed talking about the deposit protection regulations and explaining the intricacies within them. I'm also looking forward to continuing our work with the LAS over the next 12 months."

Supporting the Scottish Association of Landlords

This year we've had the pleasure of sponsoring and exhibiting at two of the biggest annual events in the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) calendar, April's The Agency Business conference and the forthcoming National Landlord Day, SAL's main annual conference and exhibition, happening on 3 November 2015 at Edinburgh's Dynamic Earth Science Centre.

To find out more about the events and our sponsorship, read our blog. And don't forget to book your place at National Landlord Day. We'd love to see you there! You can find us at stand 19; we look forward to meeting you.

Our top ten inventory tips

Do you know the value of a clear and detailed inventory?

In a deposit dispute, the inventory can be the deciding factor. What's more, it can often prevent a dispute from happening in the first place.

To make sure your inventory is up to scratch, our expert adjudicators have pulled together their top 10 inventory tips.

See if your inventories match our adjudicator's advice. It could make a real difference.