A campaign group of activists says there have been only “few reports of dodgy behaviour” by agents and landlords in the...
Archive
![Phil Spencer urges letting agents to go on the offensive](/upload/images/Shutterstock-only%20images/Special%20Logo's/Phil%20Spencer.png)
I was surprised the other day to read statistics from the English Housing Survey about how many landlords use letting agents. In...
05 June 2023
From: Breaking News
![Media accuse agents of mis-selling deposit alternative schemes](/upload/images/Shutterstock-only%20images/Property%20Market/MortgageCalculated1_400x310.png)
The Observer newspaper has investigated the way letting agents apply so-called zero deposit schemes - and claims that in some cases...
05 December 2022
From: Breaking News
![Tenant deposits fall in response to mandatory fees ban](/upload/images/Housing%20Market%20%26%20Property%20Images/MillennialAgents-Meeting-400x310.jpg)
Research by deposit protection provider mydeposits has revealed that the average deposit paid has fallen year on year since the start...
21 April 2022
From: Breaking News
![Pandemic delays review of tenant fees ban in Wales](/upload/images/Locations/WalesFlag-400x310.jpg)
The Welsh Government has revealed that it hasn’t had time to evaluate its tenant fee ban due to the pandemic. Tenant fees...
21 September 2021
From: Breaking News
![Does the Tenant Fees Ban stop agents charging for viewings?](/img/default/lat.png)
A new service has been launched to charge prospective tenants £30 - potentially even more - just to view a property...
26 July 2021
From: Breaking News
![Foxtons’ naked ambition - it wants to buy more lettings books](/img/default/lat.png)
Foxtons has made no bones about how it sees future growth - it wants to acquire lettings books from other agencies. “There...
11 March 2021
From: Breaking News
The Tenant Fees Act 2019’s 12-month transition period came to an end on 31 May, prohibiting various payments and charges that...
16 December 2020
From: Sponsored Content
![Agents now managing more rental units than ever before, says ARLA](/img/default/lat.png)
An end-of-year market snapshot by the Association of Residential Letting Agents shows the supply of rental accommodation was the highest on record...
11 December 2020
From: Breaking News
![Agents must not be tempted to charge illegal fees, industry chief warns](/img/default/lat.png)
One of the leading figures in the PropTech world is warning that letting agents must not be tempted into charging illegal...
08 September 2020
From: Breaking News
![Increase in pet popularity means more damage to rental units - claim](/img/default/lat.png)
A survey by The Tenancy Deposit Service suggests that half of landlords have experienced damage to their rental properties by pets. And...
23 July 2020
From: Breaking News
![Shelter wants enforcement against agents still charging illegal fees](/img/default/lat.png)
Shelter is calling for stricter enforcement against letting agents in Northern Ireland which it claims are illegally charging tenants fees for...
29 June 2020
From: Breaking News
![Tenant fees ban fails to dent franchise empire’s profits](/img/default/lat.png)
Hunters has reported a small increase in pre-tax profit in it full-year results despite the impact of the ban on tenant...
27 May 2020
From: Breaking News
![Are UK rental deposits too high? Not by international standards…](/img/default/lat.png)
The typical UK private rental deposit, often considered high in this country, is thought to be relatively low by international standards...
13 March 2020
From: Breaking News
![Under Investigation! Agents probed for alleged Fees Ban breaches](/img/default/lat.png)
A newspaper claims multiple councils are opening investigations into agents allegedly defying the tenant fees ban - and at least one...
03 March 2020
From: Breaking News
![Agents tell government - scrap SDLT surcharge and reverse tax changes!](/img/default/lat.png)
The Association of Residential Letting Agents has made an uncompromising set of demands on the government, asking it to implement a...
13 February 2020
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban: shocking impact on agents revealed in report](/img/default/lat.png)
The majority of letting agents have lost up to 20 per cent of their revenue because of the fees ban -...
06 February 2020
From: Breaking News
![High-flying Belvoir bats off fees ban to record another profits rise](/img/default/lat.png)
Belvoir, which describes itself as the UK’s largest property franchise, has just released figures showing its 23rd successive year of uninterrupted...
31 January 2020
From: Breaking News
![We warned you! Government told of rising rents thanks to fees ban](/img/default/lat.png)
The Association of Residential Letting Agents says the number of tenants successfully negotiating rent reductions has hit an all time low...
29 January 2020
From: Breaking News
![‘We beat the fees ban’ - franchisees see revenue growth](/img/default/lat.png)
The Property Franchise Group, which has a string of major agency brands, has reported a strong performance in 2019 despite the...
29 January 2020
From: Breaking News
![Over 200 complaints of agents allegedly charging illegal fees](/img/default/lat.png)
The Times claims there have been well over 200 complaints lodged with redress schemes, alleging that lettings agents tried to charge...
23 December 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban confusion prompts industry groups to create ‘the matrix’](/img/default/lat.png)
The Association of Residential Letting Agents and the Tenancy Deposit Scheme have created a matrix for letting agents and landlords about...
11 December 2019
From: Breaking News
![Rental sector “in a state of despair” warns lettings agents' chief](/img/default/lat.png)
[Letting Agent Today was ‘off air’ for some of Wednesday and most of Thursday thanks to technical problems - we apologise to...
06 December 2019
From: Breaking News
![Franchise group hikes charges to landlords by 10% because of fees ban](/img/default/lat.png)
The Property Franchise Group has issued an upbeat trading statement indicating that it’s mitigated much of the financial impact of the...
21 November 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban, Licensing and HMOs: many agents fear they’re breaking the law](/img/default/lat.png)
Just over a fifth of lettings agents questioned in a major industry survey are concerned that may not be complying with...
15 November 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban: Welsh Government to clarify default payments](/img/default/lat.png)
The Welsh Government says it’s going to issue clarifications to some issues before the end of this year; if agreed by...
13 November 2019
From: Breaking News
![Countrywide's veteran lettings supremo leaves at end of fees ban work](/img/default/lat.png)
Countrywide has issued an unusual statement saying that the veteran lettings expert recruited to steer the organisation through the tenant fee...
08 November 2019
From: Breaking News
![Renters 'union' asks tenants to report agents levying illegal fees](/img/default/lat.png)
The controversial tenants union Acorn has set up a web page where disgruntled renters can lodge complaints about letting agents. In the...
24 October 2019
From: Breaking News
![Insurance for tenants could be additional revenue stream for agents](/img/default/lat.png)
Life insurance sold to tenants could provide a valuable additional income stream for agents whose revenue has been hit by the...
22 October 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban: no evidence it’s hit room rental costs, says PropTech chief](/img/default/lat.png)
A co-founder of a room rental PropTech service says there’s no clear evidence yet that the fees ban introduced in April...
18 October 2019
From: Breaking News
![Alternative view: 'Average rents not affected by fees ban'](/img/default/lat.png)
The cost of renting a room in the UK remained steady during Q3, according to SpareRoom. The country's biggest flatsharing site says...
07 October 2019
From: Breaking News
![Void periods on the rise as market slumps in September](/img/default/lat.png)
A rental market slump in September has led to a rise in average void periods across many parts of England and...
03 October 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees ban: Rent rises reach record high for fourth consecutive month](/img/default/lat.png)
The number of tenants experiencing rent rises following the introduction of the Tenant Fees Act continued its upward curve in August. The...
02 October 2019
From: Breaking News
![Beginning of the end for Let Only Tenancies, says leading expert](/img/default/lat.png)
We are at the beginning of the end for let only tenancies which have effectively been subsidised in the past by...
16 September 2019
From: Breaking News
![We’ll make Fees Ban work for us, says ambitious agency acquiring rivals](/img/default/lat.png)
An agency in the north of England is continuing its strategy of acquisitions in a bid to offset the effects of...
13 September 2019
From: Breaking News
![Agency to survive the Fees Ban ‘as we charge less than our rivals’](/img/default/lat.png)
Franchise agency group Winkworth claims the lettings fee ban impact has been less severe on its agents than on other companies,...
12 September 2019
From: Breaking News
![Warning over charging tenants agent commission as well as repair bills](/img/default/lat.png)
The Association of Residential Lettings Agents has taken legal advice on what can be charged to tenants for so-called ‘contractual damages’. ARLA...
10 September 2019
From: Breaking News
![Rent rises kick in as ‘scale and speed’ of fees ban hits home](/img/default/lat.png)
There is increasing evidence of the so-called unintended consequences of the tenant fee ban according to a major regional lettings agency. Linley &...
09 September 2019
From: Breaking News
![Agents warned that let-only tenant-find portfolios are less profitable](/img/default/lat.png)
A respected transfer agent who has been selling lettings businesses for 25 years has issued a warning that tenant-find let-only portfolios...
06 September 2019
From: Breaking News
![Professional client account solutions for modern letting agents](/img/default/lat.png)
Professional client account solutions for modern letting agents Letting agents will need to come up with new ways to manage client money...
05 September 2019
From: Sponsored Content
![Agency consolidation likely as regulation bites, says franchise giant](/img/default/lat.png)
Belvoir says consolidation between lettings and sales agencies across the industry is likely to increase as a result of greater regulation...
04 September 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban not hurting Belvoir yet as franchise giant records strong growth](/img/default/lat.png)
Belvoir Group has this morning announced its interim results for the first six months of this year - and they show...
03 September 2019
From: Breaking News
![Prizes offered to agents as Fixflo launches new Lettings Report](/img/default/lat.png)
Fixflo is launching its sixth annual Lettings Report for lettings professionals The survey gauges the opinions of lettings professionals around the UK...
02 September 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees ban has led to surge in tenants on the move, says franchise giant](/img/default/lat.png)
The tenant fee ban in England has led to a surge in demand from tenants for properties according to Belvoir. The franchise...
30 August 2019
From: Breaking News
![Final Reminder - Fees Ban comes into effect in Wales on Sunday](/img/default/lat.png)
The Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Act - which bans fees levied by agents and landlords on tenants - comes into...
30 August 2019
From: Breaking News
![Up they go: Fees Ban already producing record numbers of rent rises](/img/default/lat.png)
The number of tenants experiencing rent rises increased to the highest figure on record in July according to data just produced...
28 August 2019
From: Breaking News
![Rents Increase Across UK](/img/default/lat.png)
The most reliable indicator of rental trends in the UK As the largest provider of deposit protection in the UK, our database...
27 August 2019
From: Sponsored Content
![Stand by for fees ban confusion - trade bodies speak out](/img/default/lat.png)
The Association of Residential Letting Agents and the National Landlords Association have spoken out about the complexity of the fees ban...
27 August 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban Cash Crisis: letting agents expect to lose 30% of annual income](/img/default/lat.png)
The first ‘state of the industry’ report on the lettings agency sector since the introduction of the fees ban suggests individual...
15 August 2019
From: Breaking News
![Agent become first in Wales to scrap fees levied on tenants](/img/default/lat.png)
A Cardiff lettings agent claims to have become the first in Wales to stop charging fees to new and existing tenants. CPS...
07 August 2019
From: Breaking News
![Agency caves in to tenants refusing to pay fee: does this set a precedent?](/img/default/lat.png)
Two tenants who campaign against lettings fees are claiming victory after refusing to pay charges for renewing their tenancies. The agency was...
06 August 2019
From: Breaking News
![Belvoir beating the fees ban with lettings income up five per cent](/img/default/lat.png)
Belvoir has told its shareholders and the City that it enjoyed a strong first half of 2019 with its 300 High...
06 August 2019
From: Breaking News
![ARLA fees ban roadshows begin tomorrow in Wales](/img/default/lat.png)
With less than four weeks to go to the start date of the Welsh Tenant Fees ban, the Association of Residential...
06 August 2019
From: Breaking News
![Shelter complains to Boris Johnson about a lettings agency](/img/default/lat.png)
Campaigning charity Shelter has made a remarkable attack on a lettings agency, accusing it of “an abuse of power” over its...
05 August 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban: record rent rises in response to Tenant Fees Act](/img/default/lat.png)
The Association of Residential Lettings Agents says there has been a record number of rent increases reported by its members. In a...
01 August 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban: Foxtons claims to have frozen fees to landlords](/img/default/lat.png)
Foxtons has announced that it is officially freezing its fees to landlords. The move was previewed in Foxtons’ recent trading statement which...
31 July 2019
From: Breaking News
![Sharp rise in rents in second quarter, reports DPS](/img/default/lat.png)
The average UK rent rose from £757 to £771 during the second quarter of 2019 - that’s 1.7 per cent, according...
11 July 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fake rental applications on the rise as fraudsters up their game](/img/default/lat.png)
The number of fake or fraudulent rental applications is on the rise, with landlords and letting agents being fooled by a...
05 July 2019
From: Breaking News
![Agency hunting acquisitions vows to return to 'aggressive growth strategy'](/img/default/lat.png)
A national letting agency has vowed to return to an 'aggressive growth strategy' as it looks to make several acquisitions. Lomond Capital...
03 July 2019
From: Breaking News
![Over 50 agents found charging fees - but are they acting illegally?](/img/default/lat.png)
A BBC investigation of 52 lettings agents has found that two thirds were levying charges on tenants, but it is uncertain...
01 July 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban: the real impact hasn't hit yet, warns senior agent](/img/default/lat.png)
Monday marks the one month anniversary of the Tenant Fees ban coming into force, but a senior London agent warns the...
28 June 2019
From: Breaking News
![Agents can retain landlords 'by using PropTech to minimise voids'](/img/default/lat.png)
Agents need to be pro-actively using PropTech and improving their work methods to reduce voids for their landlord clients. That’s the view...
19 June 2019
From: Breaking News
![Agents offering let-only services ‘miss out on thousands in revenue’](/img/default/lat.png)
A research report claims letting agents could be missing out on thousands of pounds of potential income each year by not...
17 June 2019
From: Breaking News
![Online chief aged 24 blasts “obsolete” agents “writing their own rules”](/img/default/lat.png)
The 24 year old head of an online lettings platform called Bunk says it’s up to letting agents to show they...
12 June 2019
From: Breaking News
![Agent insists Fees Ban may have positive side-effects](/img/default/lat.png)
A lettings agent and investment adviser says there is a positive interpretation of the fees ban introduced this month in England. Abi...
06 June 2019
From: Breaking News
![Independent agencies' staff levels will be hit by Fees Ban, says HR chief](/img/default/lat.png)
The head of the country's oldest agency recruitment consultancy says the tenant fee ban will hit staffing levels in the industry...
04 June 2019
From: Breaking News
![Consumer group tries to take credit for momentous Fees Ban](/img/default/lat.png)
The consumer charity Citizens Advice has hailed the Tenant Fees Act and the ban on letting agents’ charges to renters as...
04 June 2019
From: Breaking News
![Agents’ outrage over government handling of Fees Ban documents](/img/default/lat.png)
Agents have reacted angrily to the way in which the government released a new set of rental documents updated to include...
03 June 2019
From: Breaking News
![PropTech boss renews call for agents to offset Fees Ban through more IT](/img/default/lat.png)
The head of an automated payment system for the rental sector says lettings agents can help offset losses caused by the...
03 June 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban is here: but will it achieve what the government wants?](/img/default/lat.png)
The Tenant Fees Act comes into effect in England tomorrow - but a senior lettings expert is questioning whether it will...
31 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Sell off goes on with more landlords quitting as Fees Ban kicks in](/img/default/lat.png)
The Association of Residential Lettings Agents says the feared sell-off of private rental units is continuing apace on the eve of...
31 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Public are sceptical and confused about Fees Ban: survey](/img/default/lat.png)
The public are described as being “sceptical and confused” over the fees ban that comes into effect tomorrow. A survey by insurance...
31 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban gets ringing endorsement ... from a lettings agency](/img/default/lat.png)
The Tenant Fees Act coming into effect tomorrow and banning fees on tenants in England has been given a ringing endorsement...
31 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban will particularly hurt tenants in selective licensing areas - claim](/img/default/lat.png)
The National Landlords Association says it’s concerned the Fees Ban coming into effect in just two days’ time may limit access...
30 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Deposit Cap: agents want more information - and now](/img/default/lat.png)
The Tenancy Deposit Scheme says that success of its information centre shows that the industry wants more information on the deposit...
30 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Here’s how Inadash can help you deal with a surge in activity post-fees ban](/img/default/lat.png)
A number of industry experts have warned letting agents and landlords to prepare for a surge in tenants moving property once...
29 May 2019
From: Sponsored Content
![Best agents to offer expert services after Fees Ban, predicts utility service](/img/default/lat.png)
The best lettings agents will survive and shine through the ban of fees levied on tenants, which comes into effect this weekend. The...
29 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fund boss attacks “amateur buy to let market” as “not fit for purpose”](/img/default/lat.png)
The head of a firm that seeks investors to put money into residential property funds rather than individual homes for tenants...
29 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban: many London tenants won't feel the benefit, insists agent](/img/default/lat.png)
The fierce competition in the lettings market in parts of London means that some tenants will feel no benefit from the...
28 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Many agents regard tenants as just ‘cash cows’ claims property chief](/img/default/lat.png)
A lettings agency chief in Scotland says the upcoming ban on agents levying fees on tenants - to be introduced in...
24 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![PropTech supplier tweaks products to meet Fees Ban requirements](/img/default/lat.png)
PropTech supplier Goodlord says it’s updated its core product to ensure compliance with new regulations - and it says it’s offering...
24 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![PropTech platform claims to charge ‘less than half of a letting agent’](/img/default/lat.png)
A PropTech tool wants landlords to manage their own properties and is accusing agents of being likely to increase charges to...
24 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban: agents must prepare immediately, trade body urges](/img/default/lat.png)
ARLA Propertymark is urging agents across England and Wales to ensure they have every preparation in place for the arrival of...
20 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Seven new Hunters branches this year so far, with more to come](/img/default/lat.png)
Hunters says it’s opened seven new branches this year so far - well ahead of the three it had launched at...
20 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban: agents warned to prepare for a flurry of tenant moves](/img/default/lat.png)
Agents and landlords are being warned to prepare for a surge in tenants moving property once the fees ban kicks in...
16 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Shock as agency backs Fees Ban - and gives its profits to the homeless](/img/default/lat.png)
An estate agency that describes itself as a ‘social enterprise’ says it will spend its profits on the homeless and related...
15 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Letting agents advised to reduce admin workload ahead of fees ban](/img/default/lat.png)
Letting agents are being urged to consider how they can reduce their administrative workload, following huge growth in the size of...
14 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Countdown to the fees ban: rents are still rising, says HomeLet](/img/default/lat.png)
Average rents across the UK continue to rise ahead of the introduction of the Tenant Fees Act next month, according to...
13 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Shop ‘til you pop-up? National agency launches shopping centre branch](/img/default/lat.png)
National sales and lettings agency Martin & Co has launched what it calls a 'pioneering new service' in the North East. The...
09 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![New online calculator to help agents comply with deposit cap](/img/default/lat.png)
A new solution to help letting agents deal with the introduction of the security deposit cap under the Tenant Fees Act...
08 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban: it’s the final countdown says ARLA as agents’ roadshow continues](/img/default/lat.png)
It’s now under four weeks to the introducing of the Tenant Fees Ban across England and the Association of Residential Letting...
07 May 2019
From: Breaking News
![Agency moves off the High Street to offset fees ban income cut](/img/default/lat.png)
An agency in the north east of England is moving its HQ off the High Street and into an office block...
29 April 2019
From: Breaking News
![Higher rent to combat fees ban should be last resort says mortgage boss](/img/default/lat.png)
The chief executive of a specialist buy to let lender says increasing the rent to combat additional costs put on landlords...
29 April 2019
From: Breaking News
![Consolidation of agencies is bad news for renters, says ARLA](/img/default/lat.png)
The Association of Residential Letting Agents says there is a record number of homes available to renters - but this does...
26 April 2019
From: Breaking News
![Need to replace lost fee income? Trio of suppliers say they will show how](/img/default/lat.png)
With the tenants’ fees ban just five weeks away focus is shifting to how agents can make up for lost income...
23 April 2019
From: Breaking News
![Could future rental properties just be empty shells for tenants to fit out?](/img/default/lat.png)
A senior lettings agent has raised the spectre of rental properties in future being German-style ‘empty shells’ - without even white...
18 April 2019
From: Breaking News
![New regulatory body for Fees Ban likely to clamp down hard](/img/default/lat.png)
The Association of Residential Lettings Agents says it backs a new Trading Standards-led body which will enforce the Fees Ban starting on...
18 April 2019
From: Breaking News
![Fees Ban: deposits still over £4,000 in high-rent hotspots, despite cap](/img/default/lat.png)
Figures calculated by Rightmove suggest that even when the Fees Ban and Deposit Caps kick in on June 1, some deposits...
18 April 2019
From: Breaking News
![New revenue stream for agents pledged by PropTech utilities site](/img/default/lat.png)
A new utilities management platform for tenants says it will generate additional revenue streams for letting agents. Love Resident gives tenants online...