In the 30 years Leaders has been specialising in letting, there have been countless reforms, schemes, rules and regulations introduced to raise standards in the industry.

The latest of these - a package of reforms aimed to protect people renting a property - has just been announced by Eric Pickles, the Minister for Communities and Local Government.

As a strong proponent of better standards in the industry, Leaders welcomes all measures to protect tenants and landlords. However, the firm's managing director, Paul Weller, is disappointed that the latest reforms - like those before them - fail to tackle the problem at the heart of the industry.

"The fact is, letting agents - the people entrusted to let and look after rented property - are not regulated," says Weller. "You can have as many worthwhile laws, regulations, schemes and charters as you like - but if there is no regulation of the people who are supposed to abide by them then only the good agents will do so, whilst the unscrupulous will continue to flout the law whenever they please.