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TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Government begins tweeting that it's banning letting agents' fees

The government has started tweeting that it is to ban letting agents’ fees in England - but still isn’t revealing when the measure will take effect.

Alongside a video tweeted from the official account of Prime Minister Theresa May - @theresa_may - is the statement: “I’ve made it my personal mission to fix our broken housing market - and that’s just what this government is doing.”

 

The video, which has a musical soundtrack and begins with the Conservative Party logo, then lists five policies of the government including: “Banning letting fees for tenants in England.”

The other policies, which include the first time buyer stamp duty cut and the continuation of Help To Buy initiatives, appear to be already underway; however, there is no detail given of when the fees ban will be introduced.

  • jeremy clarke

    The only way to fix the broken housing market is to keep government well out of it! Set up a housing committee and take on board expert advice and ignore the self serving "charities" who shout to justify their own directors salaries and nothing more!

  • Angus Shield

    FFS!
    Government advise parents & schools to use social media wisely.
    Why are they tweeting something that has yet to become statute; that’s rumour-mongering in my book and tantamount to bullying Letting Agents!
    I wish they would stay out of what they really do not understand rather than tilt to the windmills of others to save the discomfort of their own existence.
    Maybe Letting Agents could be the new minority group......?

  • icon

    Just yesterday I called and spoke to an agent. £75 Admin fee. £75 Referencing fee. £300 for an AST.
    If I am paying for my referencing, paying an admin fee (for a, usually, lying slimy agent to sort my AST out)... and the agent is charging the landlord a good 5-15%.... WHY should I pay £300 for somebody to print an AST and stick my name on it + landlords? INFURIATING

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    Because letting agencies are businesses and businesses have overheads. By banning fees they are being told to work on behalf of the prospective tenant for free. What the landlord pays for his services from the agent is irrelevant, you and the landlord have completely separate relationships with the agent so not sure why you've referenced it.

    Banning fees will only result in one outcome; poorer industry standards and higher rents. If you're in support of it then don't say you weren't warned.

     
  • James Robinson

    I thought only really stupid heads of government use Twitter to speak to their public......oh hang on!

  • Harley Welch

    So when we look at this issue we fail to see the big picture. Yes, there are some who have abused the fees. Most being from London and surrounding areas. (wait before you scream) But define abuse when the cost is reflected by the wages and running costs request to provide the service in the areas. Shelter of course who are subsidized by the government and charities can tell us to lose the fees. Hmm, who helps us pay the wages? no government or charity pay my staff. The government questions that were put out there, it has asked tenants if they think its fair to have fees, let me ask the desert if it wants water. Everyone wants to save money because of our government cuts.
    If we look at votes, ahhh more tenants than landlords so of course politics want to appease the public ..more votes.
    The government has introduced, DPS types, PRS, Larger Court Fees, Bigger Bailiff costs, Licencing, Cut Housing Support and introduced UC annual reporting on payments at our cost. In fact, the government has helped crush the private sector but can't get its own house in order. How about working with landlords and agents. How about creating fair fees. We all have a job to do and we all have to work hard for each penny we earn and we all pay tax on the money we earn. How can the government who get it wrong tell us how to run our businesses? If a customer is not happy then they go somewhere else. If a company is bad then trading standards are there to sort and punish simply. Simply put the idiots never last long anyway and end up in jail.

    Did you know when the Government instructed councils tell our bad tenants not to leave until evicted... how much UC or Hb is saved and passed onto the private sector.

    Over the past 10 years the private sector has been hit massively as part of the cost-cutting and you the private landlord and estate agent have lost the most... Not to mention the licensing that never actually works. What the hell do we pay council tax for if we need pay double to the same areas we already paid for and nothing changes! Yet the government still charges us and we who can pay always pay.
    How about paying police more and clamping down. Give them less paperwork and more people and stomp out crime. How about giving more on Mental Health and help people understand money and reduce homelessness by paying direct.

    Help people rather than bill bill bill.

    When the government allocated a slice of the pie to a charity, how much actually makes it to the person its required for ????

    There are do-gooders and good doers

  • James Robinson

    Hear Hear! Well said

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