Letting agents – and anyone with ‘relevant expertise and experience or a special interest’ – have been invited to provide their final say on the Tenant Fees Bill as it moves through Parliament.

Now that the Bill has passed a second reading in the House of Commons, it will be considered by a Public Bill Committee.

The Committee is now able to receive written evidence from interested parties and will review any submissions, considering them for any potential amendments.

The group is expected to meet on Tuesday June 5 for oral evidence sessions and the Committee Stage must conclude by 5pm on Tuesday June 12.

It can, however, conclude before the June 12 deadline and at this point it will no longer be able to receive any further written evidence.

“The sooner you send in your submission, the more time the Committee will have to take it into consideration and possibly reflect it in an amendment,” reads a statement posted on the government website.

Written evidence and views can be submitted to [email protected].

Following the Committee Stage, the Tenant Fees Bill will have to pass through a Report Stage and third reading in the House of Commons.
It will then make its way through the House of Lords and an amendments stage before being granted Royal Assent which is when it formally becomes law.

Earlier this week, the Tenant Fees Bill – which aims to outlaw upfront fees charged to tenants as well as capping security and holding deposits – passed its second reading in the House of Commons with a unanimous verdict after a three-hour debate.

The national charity Citizens Advice has since urged the government to review the default charges clause which it says could be used as a loophole by agents and landlords who want to continue to charge tenants once the ban becomes effective.