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Tenants could have access to a database of ‘“rogue’” landlords and letting agents, under a bill which has just passed its second reading in the House of Lords. The Renters’ Rights Bill, introduced by Liberal Democrat Baroness Olly Grender, proposes to ban letting agents’ fees and publish a public list of criminal landlords.
Baroness Grender says that the bill is intended to improve the quality of accommodation for renters and remove unfair upfront fees.
But Jeremy Leaf, former chairman of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, warned that a total ban on fees could lead to rents rising as costs are passed on to tenants anyway.
Andrew Youds says, “At NSW Properties, we always strive to be as transparent as possible, and this can be seen in our on going efforts to foster open channels of communication with both the faculty and Students Union at Edge Hill to gauge student opinion on the letting process and, where necessary, amend our service accordingly to try to resolve any concerns.
We would welcome a list of rogue landlords being published as this will not only prove beneficial for students but also our landlords who provide a superior standard of accommodation.
However, we feel that the proposal to scrap letting fees may only serve to be to the detriment of tenants as it will pr l ead to increased fees to landlords and as a result an increase in rents as landlords look to recoup these increased fees. Furthermore, when coupled with the new tax implications for landlords any fee increases will undoubtedly mean that some landlords will look to sell their portfolio, thereby reducing the housing stock available to let and compounding rent increases.”
See more information on the bill here http://www.telegraph.co.uk/investing/buy-to-let/list-of-rogue-landlords-could-help-tenants-vet-their-next-home/
