A petition has been launched on the official Parliament website calling for the regulation of letting agents.

It reads:

“We call on the Government to introduce increased regulation for letting agents by establishing an independent regulator with enforcement powers, a mandatory licensing scheme, recognised qualifications for letting agents, and transparent fees and conduct standards.

“Letting agents currently operate without formal oversight, and we think this has led to hidden fees, withheld deposits, potentially misleading advertising, and pressure tactics. We think tenants can be exploited, and landlords may be unfairly blamed for poor agent conduct. We believe this lack of accountability damages trust in the housing market and leaves the public vulnerable.

“Housing is essential and we believe letting agents must be held to professional standards.”

The petitioner is north London landlord Wilson Chowdhry who says he initiated it following two incidents.

One was what he calls “an exhausting battle for accountability and transparency” which culminated in an awards of £3,450 to him after the Property Redress Service issued a formal ruling in his favour, following a long-running dispute with an agent in Ilford.

The second incident was a dispute over a rent guarantee scheme after which Chowdhry was awarded a £900 compensation award payment against a separate Ilford agent, following a probe by The Property Ombudsman. 

Chowdhry says: “Greater public attention will help drive the change that so many renters and landlords desperately need.”