Archive

The new sole chair of the Association of Independent Inventory Clerks says he wants the service to be at the heart...

A survey suggests that the advent of deposit-free renting in parts of the private rental sector may tempt tenants away from...

The rapid growth in alternative non-deposit schemes for letting agents, landlords and tenants has hit the market. This one, from Blinc UK, claims...

Academic research suggests tenants in England and Wales are missing out on £80m of interest to tenancy deposit schemes every single...

A Select Committee of MPs investigating the proposed ban on agents’ fees levied on tenants says the measure could save renters...

Spicerhaart has signed up with a deposit-free renting platform to offer landlords and tenants the option of working with a no-deposit system...

Proposals to cap security deposits for private rented housing to six weeks rent risk creating a charter for rent cheats warns...

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme is sending its congratulations to the writers of an EastEnders storyline tackling problems in the private rented sector. A recent...

A warning has come from a campaigning letting agent that London’s landlords agents could be costing themselves tenants by requiring them...

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme has announced new dates for its academy courses, delivering training on tenancy deposit disputes and adjudication to...

The ZPG-backed Zero Deposit scheme, one of a number now existing putting forward an alternative to traditional deposits, has announced four...

Some letting agencies and selected landlords are being asked to take part in a new survey investigating views and experiences in...

The cash value of tenancy deposits crooked landlords and letting agents have been convicted of pocketing in 2018 has already passed...

The director of a lettings agency who who stole hundreds of thousands of pounds to spend on holidays and other luxuries...

Crooked landlords and letting agents were convicted of stealing £1,162,037 of tenant’s cash in 2017 – a rise of 14 per...

A trade body says it wants more clarity from the Labour Party on its proposals to allow private sector tenants to...

A crooked lettings agent has been ordered to repay thousands of pounds from his pension. As previously reported on Letting Agent Today...

The trend towards reducing or eliminating deposits at the same time as edging towards a ban on letting agents’ fees on...

Student accommodation specialist Unite is launching a new service, called Conker, which aims to replace deposits with insurance schemes for students...

A letting agent has been spared jail despite stealing over £7,600 from tenants to subsidise his failing business.  Simon Cawley, from Kingsbridge...

New research claims that as many as 78 per cent of young adults aged 18 to 30 fear they will never...

Crooked letting agents and landlords have raided close to £1m from tenancy deposit accounts in 2017, new figures show. Campaigning agent Ajay Jagota,...

The government's plan to cap tenancy deposits at six weeks rent threatens to cost Britain’s renters an average of £1391 –...

ARLA has set out the main reasons why tenants don't get their deposits back in every case.   A survey of its members...

London’s Labour Mayor, Sadiq Khan, has repeated his criticism of the government’s decision to cap security deposits at the level of...

Campaigning lettings agency chief Ajay Jagota says he is unconvinced by government plans to make it a criminal offence for letting...

Trade organisatons have reacted predictably to the government’s latest announcements and publications concerning the private rental sector. Yesterday the Department of Communities...

The private rental sector is likely to benefit as a result of first time buyers’ lack of understanding of the timings,...

The draft Bill to ban letting agents’ fees levied on tenants has been published - it’s to be called the Tenants’...

A study by the Romans lettings agency group has highlighted common issues cited by agents and landlords deducting funds from a...

A campaigning letting agent says that at the start of this financial year the total cash value of deposits held in...

Online lettings agency Upad says landlords are concerned that insurance-based alternatives to traditional deposit schemes may not cover them for repairs...

Build To Rent developer Be says it is moving to a no-fees model for its development at Hayes in west London....

A lettings agency chief who monitors legal action against rogue agencies and landlords says almost £850,000 of deposits have been stolen...

The Secretary of State for Wales has called on the Welsh Government to take measures against what he calls “unjust fees...

Newham council in London has published the UK’s first ever ratings scheme for letting agents, in which firms receive anything from...

A campaigning lettings agent says proposals to allow renters to transfer tenancy deposits between properties are to be welcomed – but...

Housing minister Alok Sharma has been told face to face that he should rethink the government's plans to cap security deposits...

Letting agents are being reminded of the importance of independent and professionally compiled inventories for individual students as they start or...

The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks says it is not surprised the majority of complaints made to The Property Redress Scheme...

Ajay Jagota, the north east agent known for his campaign against rental deposits, says recent initiatives by two deposit protection services...

The majority of MPs speaking at a House of Commons debate yesterday acknowledged they are wary of the 'unintended consequences' of...

The majority of landlords still believe that a cap on letting agent fees will be more effective than an outright ban,...

A Westminster Hall debate for MPs on letting agent fees will take place this morning in the House of Commons. The debate...

The Property Ombudsman scheme (TPO) has extended its expulsion of a letting agency by an additional four years. Premier Property Management, based...

Letting agents using insured deposit protection schemes have been urged to switch to a custodial model in order to compensate for...

A survey conducted for MyDeposits suggests some nine per cent of landlords - or one in 11 - is likely to...

This month’s prosecution of a letting agency for issuing ‘sham licences’ that suggested occupiers had no right to challenge eviction and...

Anti-deposits campaigning agent Ajay Jagota says the 2004 Housing Act - which actually came into effect in 2007 - may now...

A new report identifies in detail over 145 laws and regulations governing the private rental sector, varying across the four countries...

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme has launched a new guide for agents, landlords and tenants on how to make concluding a lease...

A leading trade body says a cap on damage deposits paid by tenants - as proposed by the government - could...

The Property Redress Scheme, one of three approved redress operations, says it saw a 33 per cent increase in membership in...

Former Countrywide chief executive and chairman Grenville Turner is one of a number of high profile new investors unveiled for Zero...

A no-holds-barred blog on a controversial website claims that it lifts the lid on being a letting agent in central London...

Newham council is to set up the UK’s first letting agents rating scheme to protect residents and landlords from rogue agents.   The...

A survey of over 2,000 private renters for an animal insurance company apparently produces the result that 27 per cent of...

Crooked letting agents have been convicted of stealing almost £700,000 of tenants’ deposits in the first half of 2017.   Campaigning letting agent...

A property campaigner says the failure of the police to investigate a lettings agent who was eventually convicted of fraud after...

The current ‘busy season’ for lettings turnovers at the end of student terms would be made significantly easier if agents and...

A survey of letting and estate agencies suggest around half broadly back the changes to the private rental sector outlined in...

A prominent lettings industry campaigner says the head of a tenancy deposit scheme has “serious questions to answer” after his comments...

The government’s proposal to limit tenancy deposits to one month of rent and reservation fees to one week of rent will...

The head of the parent firm of mydeposits is warning tenants and landlords tempted to enter into new ‘no-deposit’ schemes to...

An alternative to traditional deposits, already tested in the German rental market, is now being introduced into the UK - and...

HF Resolution Ltd, a subsidiary of Hamilton Fraser, has acquired one of the industry’s leading tenant eviction solicitor firms, Landlord Action.   Landlord...

A trade body wants independent inventories to become mandatory across the lettings sector - and it pledges to mount a campaign...

Who are you? Rebecca Johnston What does it say on your business card? Managing Director (TDS Custodial) What is TDS Custodial? TDS Custodial is a government-approved...

Large letting agents found to be flouting the incoming ban on letting agent fees should receive fines up to £30,000 to...

Deposit protection organisation the Tenancy Deposit Scheme (TDS) has announced that current ARLA Propertymark Vice President Claire Lloyd will be joining...

Research has revealed the top reasons tenants lose some or all of their deposits when they check out.    The survey of 2,588...

The average tenancy deposit for England and Wales is just below £1,000 according to the Deposit Protection Service’s figures for the...

A Build To Rent operator with properties in London and Glasgow is scrapping tenants’ deposits from the middle of next month,...

Only just over a week remains before the end of the formal consultation on the government’s proposal to ban letting fees...

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme says the end of May usually triggers the annual movement of students from their rented properties -...

A series of six video ‘shows’ - ideal for agents to promote to would-be investment buyers - has been launched by...

The Liberal Democrats want a raft of additional controls on the private rented sector aimed at addressing what it describes as...

As the end of the academic year approaches, one deposit protection scheme is urging student tenants to reclaim their deposits.  SafeDeposits Scotland...

An agency staff member has received a suspended prison sentence after stealing £11,500 in unclaimed deposits from a branch of Connells.   Amy...

Twenty agency groups have backed a call by the Association of Residential Letting Agents urging the government to extend or scrap its...

A prominent campaigning letting and sales agent predicts that the Conservatives are likely to put their proposed ban on letting agency...

A prominent campaigner over the misappropriation of rental deposits has welcomed the news that government proposals to ban letting agent fees...

A tenant has been tracked down after a year-long exercise and has now picked up the deposit he forgot to collect...

A leading letting agent campaigning against rental sector deposits is warning that the industry might be hit with “astronominal” insurance premiums...

Custodial deposit protection was introduced 10 years ago this week and the Deposit Protection Service has been marking the anniversary. Custodial protection...

A letting agent has been jailed for keeping more than £15,000 in client deposits. Thirugnanaselvam Damayantharan ran See Own Properties in Purley and...

  Renters are spending half their wages keeping a roof over their head, are twice as likely as homeowners to have no...

Mydeposits says it is aware of a new scam from what it calls “a fraudulent company” imitating mydeposits and getting in...

Cloud-based rental transaction platform Goodlord - already used by some agencies in the UK including Strutt & Parker and Remax -...

A trade body is warning letting agents and landlords of the need to have detailed evidence to support any deduction made...

Hamilton Fraser - parent firm to mydeposits, Total Landlord Insurance, Property Redress Scheme and Client Money Protect - has brought its...

An online lettings firm claims that last year four out of 10 students had some or all of their deposits kept...

A convicted Surrey letting agent who used his clients’ money to cover his business debts has been ordered to pay £25,000...

A group of students in Bristol has won a court case after a lettings agency acting for a landlord deducted money...

Professional independent inventories can save money for landlords at a time when tax changes threaten to make private letting for expensive...

A total of 17 letting agencies have signed up to a rental charter set up by a Labour MP.   Alan Whitehead, Labour...

A letting agency at the centre of a controversy following a ruling by The Property Ombudsman has shut its office and...

A fraudster has been jailed after being convicted on nine counts of fraud, theft and forgery relating to property firms which...

The average tenancy deposit for England and Wales is just below £1,000 - but London’s typical deposit is now at its...

A campaigning lettings agent is demanding action over what he suggests is a tenancy deposit system that is in need of...

Property campaigner Ajay Jagota has launched what he calls a “stolen deposits totaliser” to keep track of how much cash crooked...

Agents, tenants and landlords on Jersey in the Channel Islands are to receive updated advice on the returning of deposits.   ITV News...

A former administrator at a Savills letting office has admitted embezzling around £16,000 from the firm over a five and a...

Hamilton Fraser - parent company to several key brands operating in the private rental sector - has launched a series of...

The Resolution Foundation, a think tank, claims that home ownership is far lower than is widely believed to be the case...

A London council has agreed to implement a new ‘standards charter’ for the private rental sector from next month - in...

There is a new warning from the Bank of England suggesting that - despite all the recent measures aimed against buy...

No decision yet appears to have been taken on the fate of the Renters’ Rights Bill - which had as a...

Fees charged by letting agents will be discussed in the House of Lords tomorrow as the Renters’ Rights Bill reaches its...

The soaring cost of a private rental deposit - now approaching £1,000 - makes the need for an accurate inventory greater...

The Renters’ Rights Bill - which includes provisions scrapping agents’ fees for tenants, mandatory registration of landlords and limiting the size of...

The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks says it is concerned at the results of a survey suggesting 79 per cent of...

An industry body says more work must be done to reduce the number of tenancy deposit disputes, despite recent improvements.   The Association...

Three men have received prison sentences of up to 28 months after a nationwide lettings scam was unearthed by trading standards...

Crooked letting agencies have been convicted of stealing £1,018,100 of deposits this year alone – and one agent claims this figure...

Letting agents and landlords across Scotland have been invited to check they are up to speed with current regulations at a...

An estate agent from Devon who conned landlords, tenants and even his friends out of a total of £157,250 has been...

The number of so-called ‘parent landlords’ is set to rise as increasing numbers of baby boomers use buy to let as...

As an Agent, understanding and managing your landlords’ expectations of their tenants and property is a necessary and sometimes difficult task....

A Bairstow Eves letting agent who stole over £21,000 in tenants’ deposits over two years to pay her own payday loan...

The Property Ombudsman scheme’s annual report, just released, reveals that there has been a dramatic 32 per cent surge in the...

On Friday afternoon Letting Agent Today broke the news of four letting agencies being expelled by The Property Ombudsman - and...

The local press serving the area of Kirkcaldy is reporting concern about a local letting agent after numerous tenants and landlords...

Four separate estate and letting agencies have been expelled from membership of The Property Ombudsman and from registration for lettings redress...

The number of tenancy deposit disputes reached a record high in 2015-16, but still represents only a fraction of all deposits. Figures...

SafeDeposits Scotland has announced that Ian Potter will succeed Sir Andrew Cubie as the organisation's chairman. Potter, who has been on the...

A letting agent who stole more than £400,000 from clients has had her sentence appeal dismissed by judges. Amy Williams, who part-owned Williams...

The average UK tenant expects to remain part of the Private Rented Sector for a further decade, according to a new...

Our key partner and buy-to-let specialist, Hamilton Fraser, and renown industry expert, Paul Shamplina have released the first in a new...

The newly-elected mayor of Bristol and the city’s council have endorsed a so-called ethical lettings charter created by a group known...

New data from the Tenancy Deposit Scheme shows that at the end of March 2016 there were a total of 3.426m...

Four out of 10 students lose well over a third of their deposits when they rent privately while at university or...

A letting agency has been removed from a Scottish council’s approved list after failing to conform with rules protecting the deposits...

Hybrid letting and sales agency Purplebricks is ramping up its attack on high street agents with a claim that prospective tenants...

The typical deposit paid when a tenant moves to a new property in England and Wales is set to break the...

A fundamental part of any tenancy agreement is the tenant’s obligation to pay rent to live in the  property. In return,...

The Thames Valley Police says it wants to speak to a man in connection with an investigation in which a number of...

The BBC is claiming that vulnerable families are being exploited by rogue landlords in Glasgow - including in the constituency for...

Another survey, this time from an online letting agency, reveals that as many as 70 per cent of tenants are concerned...

Suzy Hershman, Head of Dispute Resolution for mydeposits, covers her top tips for preparing your dispute evidence If I had a £1 for...

Our latest infographic shows figures of how the majority of deposits are repaid at the end of tenancy and goes into...

No fewer than 86 per cent of renters - the equivalent of over six million households - have less than a...

When renting out a property, most landlords choose to take a deposit from their tenant prior to the tenancy starting. The...

More than half of tenants would move or consider moving to a different town or city in order to buy a...

Another local authority is aiming to set up its own ‘social’ lettings agency.   The proposal is one of five put forward by...

EasyRoommate, a room-sharing website, says it is backing the Renters’ Rights Bill currently going through parliament and aiming to restrict letting...

For a long time, fair wear and tear has been a grey area for landlords and letting agents alike; this is...

The Local Government Association, representing 370 councils across England and Wales, is calling on the public to speak out against rogue...

A lettings agency has become the first in Scotland to be sanctioned for breaching rules that secure the deposits of its...

Mortgage firms insisting on landlords proving their rental income could cover 145 per cent of their monthly payments could lead to...

We’re used to young owner-occupiers relying on the Bank of Mum and Dad for financial help - now it appears youthful...

  A letting agent who scammed dozens of tenants and landlords out of more than £220,000 of rents and deposits has been...

Data produced by Scottish lettings agency DJ Alexander Lettings appears to show a growing trend towards long-term letting over buying. The agency,...

Tenancy deposits in England and Wales are typically £100 dearer than the Scottish equivalent.  Between June 2015 and May 2016, the average...

A Labour MP has told the House of Commons that letting agents are “completely unregulated” and that tenants are being “held...

A lettings agency has been fined over £11,000 for alleged breaches of regulations in advertising an unlicenced HMO that was later...

Next week letting agents across the country will be taking part in the fifth annual SAFEagent Awareness Week. The event aims to...

The Property Redress Scheme (PRS) has announced the details of a workshop for Welsh letting agents, taking place in July. The event...

A former letting agent has received a suspended prison sentence after pleading guilty to ten counts of fraud. Nicholas Dowse, also known...

An ‘ethical lettings charter’ set up over a year ago by a pressure group for improved private rental sector housing has...

A letting agent has been jailed after reportedly tricking students into paying deposits totalling thousands of pounds for flats they could...

The head of a lettings company who kept tenants' deposits worth almost £7,000 has been barred from renting out homes by...

The Liberal Democrats are following in the footsteps of some Green and Labour politicians in calling for a ban on letting...

A letting agent who closed his New Malden firm leaving 17 landlords some £27,000 out of pocket has been jailed for...

A community group that has in the past staged protests at letting agents’ offices in Bristol has now organised a petition...

Six letting agents have all pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud. The Ham & High says they were all employees of...

Two new custodial services are being launched today by the Tenancy Deposit Scheme and Mydeposits. Custodial systems mean deposit money is held...

Lettings companies and an organised group of criminals described as a “gang of chancers” have been hit with fines and costs...

Future demand for rental property looks secure if Hamptons International's latest research is accurate - it says a typical single Londoner...

The average tenant spends a total of £577.64 on letting agent fees, according to new research. The research, carried out by an...

In 2026 - just 10 years from now - the average UK private rental deposit is set to reach £1,111 - the...

An initiative between the Residential Landlords Association and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme Charitable Foundation will help charities and other organisations offer...

A typical tenant in a two-bed property in England will have paid over £40,000 in rent in the past five years...

The gap between average incomes and the pay of tenants who want to buy their first property has reached a post-recession...

Who are you? Jen Paice What does it say on your business card? Chief executive of SafeDeposits Scotland What does SafeDeposits Scotland do? We are...

The ongoing court case involving a former letting agent has now heard that the nine cases of fraud being considered allegedly...

A former letting agent has pleaded guilty of nine offences of fraud involving the retention of deposits and rents belonging to...

A new report from the independent Social Market Foundation think tank has found that almost two million more people have been...

Who are you? I’m the Head of Redress at the Property Redress Scheme. I previously worked for Legal & General PLC dealing...

ARLA has issued guidance to students who may be using the Christmas break to line-up accommodation for the coming year.  Looking for...

It appears almost certain that the Bank of England is preparing for new mortgage controls in a bid to dampen what...

Only 26 per cent of people currently aged 20 to 39 in England will live in a home they own by...

Repairs software provider Fixflo - which last week entered into a partnership with The Property Ombudsman scheme and The Deposit Protection...

The Department of Communities and Local Government has published a summary of the 600 responses it has received to its recent...

The Mirror has exposed what it believes is a scam letting agency website attempting to get would-be renters to part with...

Eight out of 10 in rental accommodation want tenancy agreements of one year or less, a large survey by The Deposit Protection...

The rental market looks set to benefit from the continuing housing market strength as new research claims that first time buyers...

A London letting agency says a huge rise in the number of tenants with dogs, combined with a lack of supply...

A formal tenancy deposit dispute could be defused by something as basic as a simple conversation, says the Association of Independent...

Approaching 50 per cent of private tenants have experienced property maintenance issues with their agents or landlords. The figure comes through research...

Students are considered to be almost twice as likely to lose their deposit at the end of a tenancy than any...

New student tenants have been urged to be vigilent and not fall victim to fake online letting agents and landlords. The National...

A letting agent who fled Britain to India, leaving landlords and tenants out of pocket and his staff’s wages unpaid, has...

The Insolvency Service, which probes all compulsory liquidations and individual bankruptcies, has wound up two letting agencies.  Morgan Fox (Lettings) Limited, formerly...

The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks, known as the AIIC, has announced the details of two new training courses taking place...

Tenancy deposit protection scheme mydeposits says almost a third of its notified disputes between tenants and agents or landlords do not...

The government-backed tenancy deposit protection scheme mydeposits is allowing letting agents join online in a bid to cut down on paperwork. mydeposits...

One in four households in the UK will be privately renting by 2025 - that’s the conclusion of research by respected...

Student tenants risk losing thousands of pounds through items detailed in a property inventory going missing at the end of a...

Student tenants risk losing thousands of pounds through items detailed in a property inventory going missing at the end of a...

Two agents charged with fraud are expected to appear in court tomorrow Martin Marcus and Nadim Khan will appear at Harrow Crown...

The changes to tax relief for landlords comes on top of a blizzard of new health and safety requirements, regulations and...

The latest episode of Channel 5’s Nightmare Tenants, Slum Landlords programme will tonight show how a rogue letting agent in a...

After the passing of the Deregulation Act deposits deadline this week, Richard Price, Executive Director of UKALA, is in a contemplative...

A letting agent has been disqualified from acting as a director for 10 years following the collapse of his Hove agency,...

New tenancy deposit rules come into effect today have been given the thumbs-up by The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks.  Under the...

New tenancy deposit rules come into effect today have been given the thumbs-up by The Association of Independent Inventory Clerks.  Under the...

Landlords could risk facing heavy fines if they fail to protect their tenants’ deposits before an important new deadline on June...

The Deposit Protection Service is reminding letting agents and landlords that they have to act with extreme urgency over older tenancy...

The Association of Residential Letting Agents says the government’s controversial Deregulation Act, which is now in force, is creating critical new...

A north east agent claims that news coverage of tenants on housing benefits is too quick to point the finger at...

Landlords and letting agents have been issued a reminder that they have less then three weeks to protect tenancy deposits with...

A deposit protection scheme has published a deposit dispute best practice guide for letting agents and landlords. my|deposits has produced the document...

Earlier this week we passed the official deadline for letting agents to fully publicise their fees as well as providing evidence of which...

In 2007, the government introduced a compulsory deposit protection scheme as part of the Housing Act 2004 to help protect tenants...

The Conservatives’ election victory came as a surprise, so much so that television pundits spent all night after the vote rubbishing...

I write this article on the day of the General Election so you’ll forgive the political analogies. In particular, how any...

The Association of Residential Letting Agents says landlords who are not using their agents for deposit registration should be reminded to...

AllAgents is calling for the scrapping of the insurance-backed tenancy deposit schemes. The review website claims these schemes are misleading, as tenants...

Letting agents have received another warning from legal experts to familiarise themselves with new legislation introduced just before MPs broke up...

The chief executive of Braemore, one of the highest profile letting agencies in Scotland, says he wants greater regulation for the...

A group of renters who have formed the Acorn group in Bristol - which has already held protests against letting agents...

The Deposit Protection Service says agents and landlords must act soon over older tenancy deposits now that new legislation has introduced...

It is to the credit of our political parties - and our own industry’s lobbying - that so many housing-related matters...

The majority of private sector tenants who have rented a property in the past five years have failed to get their...