Letting agents are set for at least another year or more of uncertainty as the Government has publicly confirmed the tenant fee ban is unlikely to be implemented before April 2019.
The indication came in a response from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to a parliamentary petition calling for a reversal of the tenant fee ban.
The petition, started by lettings agent Rob Farrelly, calls for a cap on fees rather than an outright ban, which he said would result in costs being passed on to landlords.
The petition has received just over 10,000 signatures so far, below the 100,000 required for a House of Commons debate.
But the Government has responded to say the ban will go ahead but that legislation had been published in draft form to ensure it is fair.
The response said: “Good letting agents, providing services that represent value for money to landlords, will continue to play an important role in the market. Furthermore, such letting agents will be on a fairer footing to compete for landlords’ business since it will be much harder for rogue agents to exploit their position between landlords and tenants.
“The Communities and Local Government Select Committee is currently holding a public inquiry into the draft Bill.
“We welcome Parliamentary scrutiny on whether the draft Bill achieves its aim of delivering a fairer, more competitive, and more affordable lettings market where tenants have greater clarity and control over what they will pay and where the landlord is the primary customer of the letting agent.
“The Government will then seek to introduce the Bill formally to Parliament at the earliest opportunity.
“We will do this as soon as parliamentary time allows.
“We do not expect implementation to be before April 2019.
“This will allow letting agents time to prepare and re-negotiate their contracts.”
This is the third time such an indication of timing has been given.
Last December, BBC Radio4 programme You and Yours was told in a statement by then DCLG that it was not expecting the ban to be implemented until “after spring 2019 at the earliest”.
The National Approved Lettings Scheme said it had been told the same in January.
Letting agents calls for a total ban on MP’s expenses to prevent rogue MP’s exploiting their position?
Surely the same solution?
At least letting agents provide a quantifiable service for their expenses/charges?
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Disgusting behaviour from Tories. They really can’t be trusted.
They called a referendum
They love businesses that kill jobs .
They have ruined a generation of growth for uk business owners.
They need to go now.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
The have well and truly xxxx on us from a great height. They got my vote in the last but one election when Labour had it in their manifesto to introduce a ban, and the Tories said they wouldn’t.
What do they do? Like Labour they will never see my vote again; and yes I am aware that means diddly squat…..
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
You’d get a 100,000 signatures for that e-petition!
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Yet another decision being handed down to business by career politicians who have never had the ba**s to run a business in their life and who have the same fundamental understanding of profit and loss as a gnat.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
We
All
Now
Know
Every Government is
Really
Stupid
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Clever one! Got that past the internet police 🙂
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register
Politicians which ever party, lost the plot years ago. I can foresee another Donald Trump being elected, but this time in our country. Not one of them comes over as having any common sense, spitting at each other no matter what policy is right or wrong. No guts and pandering to the far left liberal 21st society.
You must be logged in to like or dislike this comments.
Click to login
Don't have an account? Click here to register