Trading Standards to highlight 'effective enforcement' in fight against rogues

Today Trading Standards teams across the country will highlight the work they do to protect landlords and tenants from rogue letting agents.

Part of SAFEagent Awareness Week 2018, 'Effective Enforcement Day' aims to recognise the important work carried out by Trading Standards in order to create a level playing field for agents, ensuring they adhere to their legal requirements.

It will fall to Trading Standards to enforce a range of new government measures designed to protect consumers.

For example, Trading Standards will enforce mandatory Client Money Protection scheme membership from April 1 2019, with the powers to hand out fines of up to £30,000 to non-complying agents.

Enforcing these rules, alongside the upcoming ban on letting agent fees, will place even more emphasis on the day-to-day work carried out by Trading Standards teams, the organisation says.

"Local trading standards departments look to ensure through our important work that renters are safe and secure from the minority of agents and landlords who flout the law," says Martin Harland, chair of the London Trading Standards Letting Agents Group.

“There are many professional agents who provide an excellent service and effective enforcement is about creating level and fair conditions for them to thrive while stamping out the criminals.”