Tenants in the private rented sector will no longer be
forced to pay excessive fees for minor damages, as the government
continues to crackdown on unfair letting fees.
The move, announced today (5 September 2018) as part of
the Tenant Fees Bill, is a
further measure to bring an end to costly fees imposed by a
landlord or agent.
Under the new default fee provision, a landlord or agent will
only be able to recover reasonable incurred costs, and must
provide evidence of these costs to the tenant before they can
impose any charges.
This will put a stop, for example, to tenants being charged
hundreds of pounds for a damaged item that actually only costs a
few pounds to replace – such as £60 to replace smoke alarms which
the local council would have replaced for free.
Other amendments to the Bill brought forward by the government
include taking steps to ensure tenants get their money back
quickly by reducing the timeframe that landlords and agents must
pay back any fees that they have unlawfully charged.
The Bill is expected to save tenants around £240 million a year,
with the Bill also giving them assurance that the deposit they
pay at the start of the tenancy cannot exceed 6 weeks’ rent.
Minister said:
Tenants across the country, whatever their income, should not
be hit with unfair costs by agents or landlords.
This government is determined to make sure our housing market
works and this new provision in the Tenant Fees Bill will make
renting fairer and more transparent for all.
