Tenant fee ban passes next stage

The ban on fees charged to tenants has moved a step closer. The Tenant Fee Bill had its second reading in the House of Commons on Monday 21st May and this stage was passed unanimously. The Bill now goes to committee stage, then a reporting stage before it has a third reading in the House of Commons.

Once the Bill has passed through the House of Commons, it will go through the same stages of debate and discussion in the House of Lords, before being presented to the Queen for Royal Assent. This will make a ban on tenant fees law - a ruling every letting agent and landlord will have to abide by - but this is not expected to happen until 2019.
If and when the bill becomes law, it will be illegal to charge tenants for many administrative tasks, such as referencing, check in and inventories. There while also be strict caps on how much can be requested as holding deposits and tenancy deposits.

Agents and landlords will still be able to detect default fees during the tenancy, for things such as a lost key or late rental payment - although this will need to be detailed in the tenancy agreement and be fairly levied.

If you'd like to know how the Tenant Fee Bill will affect your tenancy or let with The Robinson Jackson Group, please contact your local lettings centre.