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Housing minister Kris Hopkins says the government is reviewing industry suggestions on how to improve property conditions in the PRS and tackle bad landlords and agents without any negative impact on the majority who provide a good service to their tenants.

Hopkins' Department of Communities and Local Government issued a discussion document earlier this year with a late-March closing date for comments; it is now thought the government will respond to those comments by the end of the summer.

The minister made his remarks on the review during the announcement of the three lettings redress schemes which had won government approval. These were The Property Ombudsman, Ombudsman Services Property and The Property Redress Scheme.

All tenants and leaseholders have a right to fair and transparent treatment from their letting agent. Most are happy with the service they receive, but a small minority of agents are ripping people off, and giving the whole industry a bad name. That's why we will require all agents to belong to one of the official redress schemes says Hopkins.

The government has put lettings on centre stage of the housing agenda, but has fallen short of regulating agents beyond making them join redress schemes.

Other lettings sector measures being introduced by the government include a new voluntary code of practice that will set standards for the management of property in the PRS, a new help to rent' guide which will assist tenants understand what they should expect from their rental deal, and the introduction of a model tenancy agreement which landlords and tenants can use (in theory) to create longer tenancies.

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