As recently as 2015 the government strongly opposed banning lettings agency fees for tenants, so its decision to publish the draft tenants fees bill is a welcome U-turn.
By the end of the decade, roughly a third of Londoners will rent from a private landlord, so tough action to end this injustice couldn’t come sooner. Lettings agents provide a service to landlords, not tenants, and landlords already pay them a fee for their services. Charging tenants an average fee of £337 just to print out a standard contract and run some reference checks is gouging, plain and simple.
However, there are flaws in the draft bill. The cap on security deposits at six weeks is far too high and should be lowered to further reduce the exorbitant cost of renting for private tenants.
More fundamentally, ministers need to drop their ideological opposition to any form of rent control and bring Britain’s private rented sector into line with European countries like France and Germany. We need longer tenancies and caps on rent increases to give tenants more security and affordability.
Tom Copley AM
Labour’s London assembly housing spokesperson
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