Meet the Speaker - Nicola Thivessen
With the NRLA’s UK Housing Conference in Liverpool just weeks away we will be meeting some of the speakers you will hear from. This week, we talk to Nicola Thievessen, Director of Lettings Operations at Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward (KFH) about the importance of understanding the new legislation and compliance.
With more than 15 years in the lettings industry, Nicola’s journey began at Countrywide as a tenancy negotiator in 2007, before the 2008 financial crash fundamentally changed the industry landscape.
"The crash was quite interesting because it had a huge impact on lettings," recalls Nicola. "Sales were really negatively impacted, so many offices [SW1] opened up lettings functions. That's when I moved into what would nowadays be called tenancy progression - putting all the paperwork together because sales staff had never really experienced lettings before."
Building compliance expertise
After a brief stint outside the industry, Nicola returned to property, joining Chestertons where she eventually set up their compliance function - a role that would prove increasingly vital as new regulations emerged.
"Back in the day, you'd have an individual who would run the training and compliance, but businesses didn't really have a true recognised compliance function," she explains. "As more legislation came in, it became more critical."
Current role and industry involvement
Now at KFH, which operates 60 offices across London, Nicola oversees lettings operations from both operational and compliance perspectives. But her influence extends far beyond her day job through active involvement in industry bodies.
She's a long-standing member of the Lettings Industry Council and currently chairs the Zoopla Lettings Advisory Board.
Renters' Rights Bill
Despite initial industry panic about the Renters' Rights Bill, particularly around the abolition of Section 21, Nicola takes a pragmatic view of the changes ahead.
"When you look at the core reasons why you end a tenancy - rent arrears, antisocial behaviour, wanting to sell, wanting to move back in - all those mechanisms remain," she explains. "It's not what you can do, it's how you can do it that's changing."
Her bigger concern lies with the penalties for getting things wrong and new requirements like the Decent Homes Standard and property portal registration.
"If landlords don't respond to a maintenance request in time, that can have serious repercussions. If their property doesn't meet decent standards, that's going to impact them. The penalties are severe," she warns.
For Nicola, the key to successful adaptation lies in education and preparation. She believes landlords who isolate themselves risk missing crucial developments.
"The best thing a landlord can do right now is truly understand what's ahead of them and make sure they're prepared," she advises. "Expert advice and guidance from the sector is going to be absolutely critical."
Liverpool conference
Nicola will be taking to the stage at the conference,at the Exhibition Centre in Liverpool on 5th November,as part of a panel discussion ‘Navigating Legal Reforms and Housing Policy Changes in the UK Rental Market’, alongside legal expert Carly Jermyn and the NRLA’s chief policy officer Chris Norris.
Her practical experience in compliance, combined with her involvement in shaping industry responses to new regulations, makes her ideally placed to help landlords understand what the changes mean in practice.
"It's 100% about education," she says of the conference's value. "The NRLA will have the experts in the room, and it's an opportunity to really understand and hear different perspectives. Legislation can often be ambiguous, and this allows people to hear all the viewpoints."
With her track record of helping the industry adapt to regulatory change, Nicola's insights will be invaluable for landlords preparing for the new legislative landscape ahead.
The NRLA’s annual conference is in its fourth year and has gone from strength to strength since the inaugural event in 2022. Former speakers have included then-Housing Secretary Michael Gove, former Dragon’s Den star James Caan CBE and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham.
This year’s conference will be hosted by the award-winning business journalist Steph McGovern, with speakers including property guru and property expert Sarah Beeny.
To secure your place at this year’s UK Housing Conference click here.
More information
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