Agents support the impending ban on letting fees charged to tenants and would like to see the end of Section 21, new research claims.
Those are among the findings of new research conducted with 130 agents nationwide for software provider Goodlord.
Reforms that estate agents are said to be broadly supportive of include:
- The ending of the landlord’s right to evict tenants without giving a reason
- A ban on agents charging administrative fees to tenants for moving into a property or renewing a tenancy
- A cap on the size of deposits charged by landlords
The research also showed that there is a stark regional divide in estate agents’ views on the rental process, with those in London and the south east least likely to regard the process as efficient or fair. While 64% of London agents think the rental process is fair to tenants, this figure is much lower than the 83% of agents across the rest of the country who think it is fair.
Other reforms for which there was significant support include:
- A cap on rent rises so that they do not exceed inflation (47% think this is important)
- Compensation for private tenants who are evicted through no fault of their own, to help with the cost of moving home (42% think this is important)
- A significant minority (35%) think there should be lease reform so that tenants can rent a place that is guaranteed for three to five years
Richard White, chief executive and co-founder of Goodlord, said: “Tenants across the country pay out vast sums of money each month for accommodation and service levels that are sub-standard, sometimes even dangerous. We know that they urgently want to see reform but it may surprise many that estate agents also want to see reform of the sector they work in.”
The research, during May this year, also interviewed 1,000 tenants on possible reforms to the rental sector and their view of the renting process
It found that there was deep mistrust of landlords by tenants, with only a third of tenants across the UK having a “great deal of trust” that their landlord will fix things in good time, keep rent increases to reasonable levels or return their deposits.
The survey also shows that younger tenants, those under 35, feel particularly vulnerable to poor treatment from landlords.
Why don’t we just go full circle and forget assured shorthold tenancies, re-introduce succession rights, cap rents. Reintroduce assured tenancies Is that the answer???
“Tenants across the country pay out vast sums of money each month for accommodation and service levels that are substandard, sometimes even dangerous.”
I see this mentioned all the time, well instead of ridiculous reforms why not impose and enforce the current legislation that’s in place to protect Tenants???
My branch Alone is registering around 20 tenants a week that have landlords selling.
There will be no incentive for landlords to be landlords soon. What’s the housing market going to do to counteract the shortage of rental homes?
Many tenants don’t want to own, it’s a lifestyle choice so let’s enforce legislation and penalise those who let substandard properties.
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GOODLORD IT MUST BE APRIL THE 1st!!!! A CADBURY company FRUIT and TOTALLY NUTS! if that’s what is advocated.
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It would be nice for landlords if it was easier to remove tenants who refuse to pay rent for no reason and then play the system. Costs us thousands to get the bad ones out!
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130 agents nationwide – really ?
We wernt asked, anyone else here asked?
I simply dont believe the answers given – what were the questions?
Anyone here care to give their own straw poll to the questions below to see if we get a broadly the same answers ?
article said the answers were:
“Reforms that estate agents are said to be broadly supportive of include:
The ending of the landlord’s right to evict tenants without giving a reason
A ban on agents charging administrative fees to tenants for moving into a property or renewing a tenancy
A cap on the size of deposits charged by landlords”
Broadly – so what 50.01 % or what % were supportive?
So as we dont know the questions asked how about these questions for the straw poll;
Would the answer to these questions broadly be supported by agents?;
1) would you support the tenants right to freely challange in court a s21 notice to see if it was a genuine reason and if the court thinks not null the s21 notice?
2) do you suport a total ban on all fees to tenants on applying and renting or renewing a tenancy and there should be no penalty for mulitple applications?
3) should landlords be limited by law no matter who the tenant is or their risk level to a cap of 1x the rent as a deposit?
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What a fatuous “Survey” (and Article). Again, a series of ludicrous ideas and so called ‘Opinions’ from a load of Lefty Teenagers. IT makes me so upset and angry that publicity is afforded to such tripe.
Do these idiots have no recollection or understanding of the huge problems most of these ‘Reforms’ would have? Do they not know that ‘Inflation-linked’ rents has already been tried – and failed miserably (Inflation reached 25% in 1975; 18% in 1980)?
Do they not know how badly tenants suffered before ASTs were introduced? No, of course they don’t, because they can’t be bothered to research and think before they open their mouths.
The Market HAS already been reformed – to what we have now, with the excellent AST platform. It is good. Modest future evolution perhaps, but NOT Revolution. It….isn’t….broken – stop…trying….to….fix….it, for Goodness sake.
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You can’t be serious!!! (Goodlord that is). Sounds like they interviewed 130 different Shelter offices….If they’d asked any of our offices, they would have received totally different answers.
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A survey undertaken by a commercial company with a vested interest in selling software that purports to save agents thousands of £’s by reducing the admin that they do hence “balancing the books” when the tenant ban arrives!
Most decent agents have efficient and effective software that has become embedded in the day to day operations of their offices, many of us have already cut back on our expenses and overheads to try and offset the tenant ban effect but there is a limit and when that limit is reached we have choices – close or just offer online “service”
I would be equally worried by the questions put to the 1,000 interviewed tenants, such research is often biased; were the tenants details provided by someone like Shelter for example?
Our business is becoming more fragmented daily rather than pulling together, the organisations such as ARLA & NALS seem to have little appetite for a “fight” with the politicians with responses that are ill-timed, glib and without any real substance – take for example ARLA’s view that rents to tenants will rise by £130 a year; hardly fighting talk is it?
We need to be talking with our landlords now and engaging them, advising them of the pitfalls of uncommitted prospective tenants, advising them of increased costs likely to come their way and of course advising them on the issues arising from the reduction of security/dilapidation deposits. Landlords and agents need to be taking action now (really ARLA & NALS should be representing agents!) write to your MP, email your MP, arrive at your MP’s constituency clinic and put these points forward. A response from our local MP when I wrote to him in April concerned about the effect of a fee ban includes the sentences –
“I share your concerns about this issue, it is proving to be far more complicated than was originally envisaged and could have significant adverse, unintended consequences.”
“The Ministers seemed to recognise that it was legitimate for agents to charge fees but thought that it would be fairer & more transparent for those fees to be met by landlords even if this had an impact on rents”
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Goodlord are clearly not speaking to the agents we are…
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Didn’t realise Gerald Ratner worked for Goodlord
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