There is no statutory CPD requirement for estate agents in England, but there are hard legal training duties — and in Scotland, letting agents face a specific 20-hours-in-three-years training rule. Agency is one of those sectors where “no CPD requirement” is widely repeated and badly misleading: the anti-money laundering rules impose a training duty with teeth, HMRC supervises it, and the devolved nations add licensing requirements of their own.
At a glance: Nexis CPD offers £9 CPD-accredited online compliance courses relevant to property agency, with a verifiable e-certificate on passing — and any three courses cost £18.
The AML training duty is the real requirement
Estate agency businesses are supervised by HMRC under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 and must be registered with HMRC before carrying on estate agency work. Letting agency businesses came into scope in 2020 and must register where they handle a letting at a rent equivalent to €10,000 or more per month for at least part of the term. (The threshold really is set in euros.)
Registration is only the start. Regulation 24 requires relevant employees to be regularly given training in recognising and dealing with money laundering, and requires the business to keep a written record of that training. In an HMRC intervention, the training record is one of the first things asked for. See our guides to AML training requirements and what anti-money laundering means.
Scotland: a genuine CPD rule for letting agents
Letting agents in Scotland must be on the Scottish Letting Agent Register, and registration lasts three years. Anyone who needs to be qualified must hold a relevant qualification at SCQF level 6 or above. And if that qualification is more than three years old when they apply, they must also have completed 20 hours of training in letting agency work over the previous three years, of which at least 15 hours must be formal training. A statutory Letting Agent Code of Practice, in force since 31 January 2018, sets the standards alongside it.
That is the clearest training requirement anywhere in UK agency work, and it is often missed by agents who read guidance written for England.
Wales, and professional bodies
Wales licenses agents and landlords through Rent Smart Wales, with training tied to licensing. Membership bodies such as Propertymark and RICS also set their own CPD expectations for members — those are contractual obligations of membership, not law, and the number of hours depends on the body, so check your own.
What agency staff actually need training in
Beyond AML, the risks that generate complaints and claims in agency work are fairly predictable:
- Client and applicant data. Agents hold identity documents, bank details and referencing data — high-risk personal data by any measure (see what is GDPR).
- Legionella in rental property. Landlords have duties around water systems, and agents managing properties are often the ones who must arrange assessments and keep records (see legionella risk assessments and what is legionella).
- Money laundering red flags in both sales and lettings.
A starting set for an agency team
- Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Awareness — the regulation 24 training duty HMRC checks
- Data Protection and GDPR Awareness — identity and referencing data
- Legionella Awareness — managed property water safety
Those three together cost £18 rather than £27, because any three courses trigger the pay-for-2-get-3 offer. Add them to the cart and the discount applies automatically. Negotiators and property managers are “relevant employees” for AML purposes too — the duty is not limited to directors or the nominated officer.
One caveat worth stating plainly: an online awareness course is not the SCQF level 6 qualification Scottish letting agent registration requires, and it is not a substitute for the formal training element there. It can form part of ongoing training, and it evidences the AML training the regulations require.
Frequently asked questions
Do estate agents need CPD by law?
There is no statutory CPD hours requirement for estate agents in England. There is, however, a legal training duty: estate agency businesses are supervised by HMRC under the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, and regulation 24 requires relevant employees to be regularly given training in recognising and dealing with money laundering, with a written record kept by the business.
Do letting agents have to register for money laundering supervision?
Letting agency businesses must register with HMRC where they handle a letting at a rent equivalent to 10,000 euros or more per month for at least part of the term. Estate agency businesses must register before carrying on estate agency work. Businesses that fall outside the lettings threshold do not need to register for that work, but should check their sales activity separately.
What training do letting agents in Scotland need?
Letting agents in Scotland must be on the Scottish Letting Agent Register. Anyone required to be qualified must hold a relevant qualification at SCQF level 6 or above. If that qualification is more than three years old when they apply, they must also have completed 20 hours of training in letting agency work over the previous three years, of which at least 15 hours must be formal training.
Who in an agency needs AML training?
Relevant employees, which in practice includes negotiators, property managers and administrators who deal with clients, transactions or funds, not just directors or the nominated officer. The business must keep a written record of the training. HMRC commonly asks to see that record when it reviews a supervised business.
Does Propertymark or RICS membership require CPD?
Membership bodies set their own CPD expectations for members, which are contractual obligations of membership rather than law, and the requirements differ between bodies. Check the current rules with your own body. They sit on top of the statutory duties such as AML training and, in Scotland, letting agent registration requirements.
Compliance courses for estate and letting agents
£9 per course. CPD accredited, 100% online, verifiable e-certificate. Pay for 2, get 3 — any 3 courses for £18.
This article is general information, not legal advice. A CPD awareness course is not a regulated qualification and does not meet the qualification requirement for letting agent registration in Scotland. Requirements differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and membership bodies set their own rules. Always check current requirements with HMRC, the Scottish Letting Agent Register, Rent Smart Wales or your professional body.