Trading Standards teams across London are stepping up their focus today on letting agents.
They are likely to pay surprise visits and check for compliance.
They are also running a consumer facing campaign urging anyone with a problem with a letting agent in London to “report it to help sort it”.
The campaign comes after a survey of 137 letting agent websites carried out by London Trading Standards in May showed that 53% were not displaying Client Money Protection information; 37% were not displaying landlord fees; and 31% were not displaying tenant fees.
It is three years since providing this information became mandatory.
Housing minister Heather Wheeler said: “Working with Trading Standards teams in London and across the country, we are stopping rogue landlords and agents in their tracks.
“The new measures in our Tenant Fees Bill will save renters around £240m a year by banning unfair letting fees and capping tenancy deposits.
“On top of this, new regulations will keep renters’ money safe by only allowing letting agents that join a Government-approved Client Money Protection scheme handle their money.”
Martin Harland, chair of London Trading Standards Lettings Group, said: “Rental costs in the capital are high, and for too long a significant number of letting agents and landlords have been getting away with rip-offs.
“To help us get the big picture and start tackling the rogues, we need to know who is causing problems in the London market.
“So please ‘report it to help sort it’ by contacting the Citizen Advice Consumer Service on 03454 040506.”
James Murray, deputy mayor for housing and residential development, said: “There are 2.4million renters in London, and it’s vital their rights are upheld.
“In order to truly improve the private rented sector we need much more wide-ranging reform. In the meantime, the Mayor will continue to stand up for London renters by working in partnership with Trading Standards on improving standards, enforcing transparency around letting agent fees, and helping renters to access information on rogue landlords.”
Isobel Thomson, CEO of the National Approved Letting Scheme, said: “Professional letting agents who work hard to ensure they adhere to the law have their name tarnished by the agents who fail to comply.
“Only by reporting these agents can we stamp out rogues, and improve the private rented sector for all.”
Comments (4)
Bumblebee letting run by Barnet council ought to get right surely but no even they display fees incorrectly. Perhaps they will prosecute themselves ?
Lolllllll, this is true of most councils, i deal with a number across East London on behalf of clients and their leaseholder depts and maintainence programs are a joke if they were private landlords they would definately deserve the title rogue.
So who is policing the public sector???????
about time, complained to ARLA about one member not showing fees, and it took them four weeks to response to my initial email
If these agents can’t get the basics on fee display right what chance of them issuing all the right paperwork at the start of the tenancy. I fear for their clients.