The consumer charity Citizens Advice has hailed the Tenant Fees Act and the ban on letting agents’ charges to renters as “momentous.”
It claims to have been calling for a ban on fees for a decade, and says it has “worked with Parliamentarians across the political spectrum to make sure the Bill was as watertight as possible.”
Citizens Advice had urged government to reduce the amount of money required for a deposit from six weeks’ rent to only four weeks. The Act has compromised on a deposit worth five weeks’ rent.
Holding deposits are capped at one week’s rent and security deposits are capped at five weeks’ rent, or six weeks if the annual rent is above £50k. Changing the tenancy will normally be capped at £50 or “the reasonable costs”.
“The end of these uncompetitive and unfair letting fees is a real win for renters” claims Gillian Guy, the charity’s chief executive.
“The new law means families and other renters don’t have to hand over hundreds of pounds every time they move home” she continues.
And she adds: “We look forward to working with the government to further strengthen the hand of renters in a market where they have little bargaining power.”
Citizens Advice says private renters in England have been paying £13m a month in letting fees.
It also says it’s helped more than 190,000 people with housing problems in the past 12 months although under a third of these were people living in the private rented sector.
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Good work CAB, now perhaps you could start campaigning for the abolition of fees when Owners decide to move, starting with the removal of SDLT.
A victory for people in wooly jumpers with to much time on their hands.
... ' Real ' win for renters ??? someone else who doesn't understand the market and has made no mention of the greater rent that will be charged, ultimately leaving tenants WORSE off.
CAB should go into politics,....
although as a 'charity' you'd think that an anachronism - but CAB and Shelter are being paid by the Government to do work on its behalf ( is that a definition of a -quasi-charity ? )
A fair outcome would have been a reasonable amount to cover time and legals for tenant. It just feeds the expectation of having something for nothing but rents could now increase to pay for it.
Why is it acceptable that now a landlord pays?
CA are not working for Tenants who will suffer higher rents as a result, and will be worse off in the long term.
CA just want to raise their media profile and win political 'brownie points' at the expense of Tenants.
CAB seem blind to the fact that rents will have to be added to to cover these costs. I was just about to rent a house for £1300 that is now going out at £1350, and the tenants want to stay 5 years. That’s £3000 in extra rent over a 5 year period to save just £300 on the deposit. The rest will mainly go on the govt’s inflated tax bills!
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