Politicians of all stripes are promising to fix the housing crisis in the run up to the General Election.
But while plans to build more homes are welcome, .
And instead of saving for a deposit to buy our own house, we’re forking out hundreds of pounds on letting agent fees.
In Scotland, for credit checks or admin.
Labour tried to ban letting fees for the rest of the UK last May - but Conservative and Lib Dem MPs voted to block it.
But banning letting fees is gaining support. When flat sharing site SpareRoom , all but the Conservatives pledged to ban letting agents from charging tenant fees. Respected charities like Shelter have long backed a ban.
SpareRoom director Matt Hutchinson said: “We understand letting agents need to charge, but these fees should be covered by the landlord who instructs the agent, not the tenant, who has no choice.”
Let’s see it happen.
Renters in England . In some cases, renters pay £300 for renewing their tenancy. In other words, for the letting agent to print out and sign a piece of paper.
And in some cases, the letting agent has already charged the landlord fees for the exact same service - a practice known as 'double charging'.
Fees make it expensive for renters to move. So there’s less pressure on landlords to keep rents low.
Successful first-time buyers
But the majority of younger Brits are trapped by high rents. Nearly three in four private renters are under the age of 44 and half are under 35.
We can’t solve the housing crisis overnight. But banning letting agent fees would be a strong first step.
Ask the candidates that knock on your door what they'll do to ban letting agent fees.
Vote for the party with the strongest pledge on letting agent fees. .
Housing charity Shelter can lobby on your behalf. .