The redress regime for letting agents' redress just isn't working according to a London TV station which claims that renters in the capital remain unaware that they now have more powers to hold rogue or rip-off agents to account.
London Live - a TV channel owned by Lebedev Holdings, which also owns The Independent and London freepaper the Evening Standard - has asked each of the 32 borough councils in the capital if it was enforcing the new regime, which obliges every letting agency to become a member of one of three ombudsman-style redress schemes.
Responses ranged from Havering council admitting it did not keep track of the new system and instead was waiting for tenants to report rogue agents, to Kensington and Chelsea allegedly saying it believes the new law is still not operational - even though it has been in effect since October 1.
Newham is the only local authority being pro-active, claims the TV station, having issued £5,000 fines to nine letting agents who had refused to register.
Each of the three redress schemes says it has yet to receive a single complaint from a London tenant or landlord.
Comments