Almost a quarter of tenants believe they have been ripped off by letting agents
14-09-2012
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The figure comes from a survey undertaken by housing organisation Shelter which found that 23% said they had been charged unfair fees and 52% felt they were disproportionate to the cost or amount of work done by the letting agent.
Shelter says that as a result it is going to look into the matter and wants both tenants and landlords to share their experiences of fees, charges and services.
Some 14% thought they had been unfairly charged for administration, 10% felt they had been unfairly charged for credit check and 8% for renewing a contract.
Angelique, a tenant from Hampshire, paid £540 in administration costs when she rented a home with her partner through a letting agent. ‘We didn't receive any justification for these extortionate fees, and ended up having to pay nearly £3,000 upfront, making a huge dent in our finances,’ she said.
‘I have nowhere I can complain to and be taken seriously. We can't afford to buy our own home yet renting is so expensive that it seems impossible to save for a deposit. The rental market is a horrible place right now,’ she added.
Kay Boycott, Shelter's director of campaigns, policy and communications, said it is ‘scandalous that some letting agents are creaming off huge profits from the boom in private renting, by charging both tenants and landlords fees that are totally out of proportion to the service they provide’.
She added; ‘With costs like these, on top of the sky high rents that families already face, it's no surprise that many dread the day they have to look for a new place to rent.’
Jack Dromey, Labour's Shadow Housing Minister, said he is calling for action to tackle unscrupulous lettings agents who rip off tenants by charging them fees they didn't know they would face, and who exploit landlords and tenants alike by failing to protect the money they hold for them.
‘As the growing housing crisis and double dip recession put the one million families in the private rented sector under pressure, the last thing they need is to be ripped off by unscrupulous letting agents. And yet this out of touch government stands by and does nothing. Landlords, tenants and many professional letting agents have all called on the government to take action,’ he added.
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