30^th Jun 2017

A group's latest meeting (Fair Fees Forum) had their members 'up in arms' about councils' approaches to landlord licensing and called them a 'post code lottery'.

The group was formed by a National Agents body and its membership includes some of the largest UK Lettings Agent chains, trade bodies and redress schemes. The members were unanimous that councils should make a concerted effort to be much more consistent in their licensing structures for private landlords.

The recent meeting's sole intention was to discuss the haphazard regulation of the PRS (Private Rented Sector).

The Department for Communities and Local Government and the Greater London Authority also attended the meeting, however they just listened to the proceedings without offering any comments.

Rogue agents and landlords were also discussed and although a minority their actions clearly 'stain' the industry as a whole. It was agreed that new measures must be introduced to force them to comply with the necessary housing standards and code of conduct to tenants.

The members also recommended that referencing companies should be made subject to an accreditation and that inventories should be standardised across the sector. If these recommendations are taken up the group was concerned on how they could be funded, in light of the impending ban of fees.

The announcement of new housing minister, Alok Sharma, was welcomed by the group and it was decided that Fair Fees Forum would write to her requesting the creation of a standing work group alongside the Department to advise on regulations of the PRS.

The Fair Fees Forum was created by the Association in the wake of the government's intention to ban letting agent fees and to provide alternatives such as a Fair Fees Charter.

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