General interpretation
27Meaning of “letting agent” and related expressions
1
In this Act “letting agent” means a person who engages in letting agency work (whether or not that person engages in other work).
2
In this Act “letting agency work” means things done by a person in the course of a business in response to instructions received from—
a
a landlord who is seeking to find another person to whom to let housing, or
b
a tenant who is seeking to find housing to rent.
3
A person is not a letting agent for the purposes of this Act if the person engages in letting agency work in the course of that person’s employment under a contract of employment.
4
A person who is an authorised person in relation to a reserved legal activity is not a letting agent when carrying on legal activity in response to instructions from a landlord or tenant who does not instruct that person to do other things within subsection (2).
5
In subsection (4)—
a
“legal activity” and “reserved legal activity” have the meanings given by section 12 of the Legal Services Act 2007;
b
“authorised person” has the meaning given by section 18 of that Act.