Although there are many aspects to good practice there are ten key points, which, if followed, will go a long way to ensuring success.

1)     Gain political support from the outset

• To ensure internal support for scheme
• To secure resources

2)     Tie scheme in with corporate objectives and aims of other departments and outside bodies

• To secure internal support
• To help landlords in dealings with other departments or organisations

3)     Get the right person to run the scheme

• To have the internal and external authority to act
• To have the skills to work with, not take action against landlords
• To ensure that sufficient staff are provided

4)     Get local landlords on board from the outset – remember this is voluntary accreditation

• Don’t settle details internally and then attempt to impose them on landlords
• Keep landlords involved over time
• Listen to their views

5)     Set clear and realistic standards

• Be up front with landlords about what you want – don’t raise standards by stealth
• Be prepared to negotiate on standards and their interpretation
• Decide on what is genuinely not negotiable
• Consider graded standards

6)     Develop clear and simple procedures and information on them

• Provide clear information to potential recruits
• Follow the procedure consistently

7)     Get the publicity right and persist with it

• Use written materials and every possible media opportunity to promote the scheme
• Get landlords involved with promotion if possible
• Launch the scheme and keep it in the public eye

8)     Make sure that tenants know about the scheme

• Target some publicity on tenants
• Involve them or their representative in scheme development

9)     Get the incentives right

• Talk to landlords about what they want
• Be innovative and imaginative
• Keep the incentives coming

10) Monitor and review the scheme

• Circumstances change – collect information on progress
• Identify if things are not going well and act quickly to address the problems
• Get feedback from landlords and tenants as frequently as possible