The biggest change to the lettings market in decades including fee charging and deposit capping will hit the statute books in two weeks’ time and trade body Arla is offering a webinar to help its members prepare.
The Tenant Fees Act sets out the government’s approach to the ban on letting fees and deposit capping in the private rented sector.
The ban on tenant fees will come into force on 1 June 2019.
The act aims to reduce the costs associated with tenancies and is part of a wider package of measures targeted to ‘rebalance the relationship between tenants and landlords to deliver a fairer, good quality and more affordable private rented sector.’
The aim is that at the advertised stage, tenants can clearly see all the associated charges on a tenancy with no hidden costs.
Local enforcement authorities have primary responsibility for enforcing this legislation. In addition to this, the Tenant Fees Act creates an independent lead enforcement authority to oversee the operation of letting agency legislation.
Bristol city council has been appointed as the lead enforcement authority for lettings.
The webinar on 22 May will help members answer any final questions agents may have about the technicalities of the legislation, said David Cox, chief executive, ARLA Propertymark, which is also offering a roadshow in Exeter on 30 May on the topic.
Victoria Hartley is contributing editor at Mortgage Solutions, Specialist Lending Solutions, Your Money and Your Mortgage at London-based publishing company AE3 Media.
She has an MA in Radio from Goldsmiths after gaining a 2:1 in a Comparative American Studies BA at Warwick University. She also holds a TEFL qualification and taught overseas in Mexico and Japan from 1994 to 1997.
Her role includes editorial oversight of the news, analysis and features, event content management and strategic and editorial consultancy for the AE3 Media group. She is an experienced video, broadcast and live-event host and regularly chairs web and podcast debates and interviews.
Multiple award nominations have resulted in two wins: Santander Media Awards, trade journalist of the year and Headlinemoney Awards, mortgage journalist of the year (B2B). Here is one of the award-winning pieces: https://www.mortgagesolutions.co.uk/news/2011/07/21/exclusive-tale-bailey-fraud-witness/
Previous roles include editorships of Mortgage Solutions, consumer title What Mortgage and trade title Credit Today as well as a stint freelancing for a variety of outlets including The Guardian and Which? Money.
