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Agency fined twice in a year - once over fees, once over licensing

A London agency has been fined for the second time in 11 months.

Local media in Barking, east London, report that Primelodge Estates Ltd was fined £10,000 last November for failing to publicise its fees.

Now the agency has been fined a further £7,000 over a flat owned in the company’s name. 

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The agency was unable to provide the local authority with documents proving who owned the flat, nor provide details of rental income and the deposit from the tenant - all necessary to secure a licence from the council.

The agency was fined £6,000 plus £742.50 in costs and a £170 victim surcharge.

A spokeswoman for the council says: “This estate agent has shown a complete lack of regard for their legal duties and I hope this sends a strong message to them, and all other landlords and agents, that we will not hesitate to take action to protect our residents from those who put profit ahead of people.” 

 

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    Agents like this should be band from trading, the directors should be named and shamed and not allowed to trade as estate agents.

    S l
    • S l
    • 16 October 2018 17:40 PM

    i dont think any agency will want to be sue or fine for not having a licence. question is were they fine because they are applying whilst having tenants in and require improvement but council prefer to sue as it does not comply and they want to make an example of someone rather than guide them and have compliance? or was it their first property without licence that they had to apply or etc etc. there are so many instances where people apply licence and require improvement, was there an application to start with or did they miss the deadline or what?

     
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    absolutly discusting Barking and dagenham council should be closing these people down once is a mistake twice is a flagrent disregard of legislation and the fine probably a months rental income to the business, now is the time to act and send a real message out to all that disregard the law.

  • S l
    • S l
    • 16 October 2018 17:24 PM

    i didnt realise that there is a legal requirements to provide tenancy agreements etc to get licencing. i cant find it anywhere in the google, can someone give a link? dont believe everything they print for you to read. you only get to know what they want you to know. i cant believe that a letting agent do not have owner details. perhaps they missed the deadline etc. shouldnt we hear both sides of the stories since we only always get to hear what the council claimed and that they love the power they have no hesitation to use it. it sounds like they let the power go to their head. hey dont mind me. who doesnt like to have power and show it. i just prefer the good old english gentleman in the text book than the reality of power crazy .i quite like this website even if only to learn from it .

  • S l
    • S l
    • 16 October 2018 17:34 PM

    i dont think the council have any right to get rental income details . they can easily search online for owner details too. why are they hassling the agency? there is a data protection law and client confidentiality i think in relation to all businesses. the council are really letting the power go to their head. surely the court would have to curb these usage of powers at some point? i thought the english legal system have a hierachy ie court, parliament and police or something to that effect. why are the politician and council making up their rules as they go along to get whatever they want? what happen? there seem to be no boundaries where the council powers are concern. this is very worrying. we as a nation within the council are overpowering and no sense of gentleman or guidance or help. even if i try to do letting , i certainly would need to learn from the council what are require. who is going to fine the council for not advertising broadly what are the requirements etc etc. they are a law upon themselves that even the court and parliament do not seem to have impose any boundaries. is this the next generation of uk

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    i think your missing the point as agents you are required to comply with legislation advertising your fees is one such piece of legislation,as i having a property liscence as a requirement the LA ask for certain information which includes ownership of the property if this has not been provided then the property will be unliscenced so both the landlord and the letting agent are in breach.as i said previously an agent that does not comply as the majority of good agent do needs to be rooted out fines are water off a ducks back to this type of company.

     
  • S l
    • S l
    • 17 October 2018 12:23 PM

    i see. i dont see agents advertising their fees so as to protect themselves against competition. where does agents advertise their fees? online? their website? newspapers?

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