Managing Agents
If you are a managing agent then you will be able to join a special scheme that means you become a "Supporter of the Code" where you seek to persuade your owner to meet the standards in the Code. It is fine, in this case, to join individual properties. If you can join all your properties then you will become fully accredited as any owner.
Managing Agencies and the Unipol DASH Code
Unipol wishes to encourage all managing agencies to participate in accreditation by being members of the Unipol DASH code but it acknowledges the practicalities for different types of managing agents in ensuring that their owners' properties can comply with the Code. It also wishes to reward good Managing Agents who are making every effort to ensure their properties meet the standards of the Code.
The Unipol DASH Code applies only to properties that will be let to students so "all properties" means that category of property for the purposes of the Code.
Managing agents who wish to join and support the standards in the Code have two options.
Become a Supporter of the Unipol DASH Code
This consists of Managing Agents who can give an undertaking to draw the attention of the Code to all of their owners and who will seek to persuade them to join. They will also provide information about the Code (which will be supplied by Unipol) to all their existing and potential owners.
If Managing Agents are willing to annually sign up to a protocol to this effect they will automatically be designated, by Unipol, as a “Supporter of the Unipol DASH code” and this will be recognised in Unipol's publications and on its web site when marketing properties.
Properties that are fully compliant with the Code would be declared on an annual basis and these properties will be full members of the Code will come up first on the Unipol website (along with other Code properties). It will be the property owners who need to sign the Code declaration for their relevant properties.
Managing Agents will ensure that properties that are fully compliant with the Code are marked as such on their advertisements and will ensure that there is no confusion between Code and non Code properties.
Full Members of the Unipol DASH code
This status relates to managing agents who can commit to having all of their owners to meeting the Unipol DASH Code standards. Managing agents who can give this greater level of commitment will be designated as “Full Members” of the Unipol DASH Code.
Managing agents seeking full membership status will be asked to declare their properties annually to this effect and to supply a full list of all their owners' properties to Unipol so that there is a record of what properties meet the Code standards.
Full members will undertake the same administrative processes to join and uphold the Code as an owner would normally undertake. Managing Agents will make the declaration that their properties meet the Code standards.
If a complaint is made the Managing Agent will be the first point of contact for Unipol and the Managing Agent will have first line responsibility for any issues or problems under the complaints and tribunal system.
Unipol will designate the Managing Agent a Full Member of the Unipol DASH Code and recognise this fact in all property details displayed by that Agent and will ensure that all properties receive Code status and are displayed, as such, in a preferential manner on its web site and will publish a list (both in paper and electronic form) designating which Agents are supporters of the Code and distribute this to students.
Training and Information
As part of their commitment to the Code, Managing Agents will attend a one day (or two half day) seminars that explains about the Code, its content, the administrative procedures for declaration and verification and the advantages of joining with preferential marketing.
