x
By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies to enhance your experience.
Graham Awards

TODAY'S OTHER NEWS

Shelter on the warpath again over default fees

Shelter is campaigning for the outlawing if default fees levied on tenants by agents in Wales.

While the campaigning group welcomes the Renting Homes (Fees etc) (Wales) Bill currently going through the Welsh Assembly- and which band most fees anyway - it says the measure doesn’t go far enough over default fees.

These fees are to be allowed in future, says the Assembly, with tenants given rights to take their agent to court to challenge ‘unfair’ levels of default fees. 

Advertisement

“This is a completely unrealistic proposition” claims Shelter Cymru.

It claims the tenant would have to fund the action directly or via Legal Aid and “the court system is so overloaded that it would take months for the case to be heard, during which time [they would] be risking a revenge eviction.”

Shelter goes on to say: “This is why we want to see default fees defined in the Bill itself or in regulations. We’re not saying that agents should never charge a late payment fee in order to recoup the expense of chasing arrears. But we do think it is vitally important to ensure that tenants are not put in the position where they are essentially unable to challenge an unfair default fee. 

“This will create a loophole open to exploitation, and it will be tenants on low incomes who suffer most.”

It wants the Welsh Government to amend the Bill so that default fees are defined as two types of payment - late payment of rent, and lost keys. Other fees should be recovered via the security deposit.

Shelter also wants late payment fees charged once a month only, and capped at a level to be set by Ministers and periodically revised.

Finally it wants the Bill to say late payment fees cannot be charged until the rent is 14 days late.

  • jeremy clarke

    Does shelter do any charity work any more with the millions that they get each year?

  • icon

    Check out the the boss`s pay!!!! They take charity money from people to pay that. Vile organisation.

  • James B

    Shelter are a disgrace
    If they put half an much energy into sorting the universal credit mess instead of campaigning landlords to take them regardless they would actually be helping their ‘clients’
    61% of them are in arrears according to the RLA .. do they expect landlords to ignore this?

  • S l
    • S l
    • 19 November 2018 11:45 AM

    shelter are unreal. they have no concept of reality of life and how tenant tend to default because they are spending on themselves rather than prioritise on paying for rent and bills first. then hit on the landlord who have to fork out the bill and court fees. arent shelter suppose to provide accomodation for those vulnerable and also to first and foremost sort out their own house before attacking on others and expect landlord to take up the bills for being responsible and sensible?

  • PossessionFriendUK PossessionFriend

    Until Landlords AND Agents approach Shelters sponsors telling them they'll take their business elsewhere, Millions will still pour into the Execs salaries.
    I ask everyone reading this, if they have a mortgages with Nationwide, or use British Gas, M&S etc, to write to those organisations putting your view and intended action to 'vote with your feet' if sponsorship continues.

  • S l
    • S l
    • 20 November 2018 09:10 AM

    oh dear i use all 3, thanks for letting me know. do put up a list so we can all group together to do something about it. i read that brighton or was it nottingham have a small landlord association who took the local authority to court for a power they shouldnt have and won. it would be good to find that article and pass it on.

  • icon

    Tell Shelter to do one, close up shop, use the salaries and other fees to fund a property or 2 per year.

icon

Please login to comment

MovePal MovePal MovePal
sign up