Court ruling 'good news for landlords'

A recent high court hearing in which proceedings were brought under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 has been hailed as a victory for landlords.

The Office of Fair Trading - which is the UK's consumer and competition authority - successfully argued that some of the fees charged by a letting agent were unfair and could not be justified.

It was ruled that the charges were a "trap" for property owners.

Responding to the case, Keshav Thukaram, managing director of Smartlandlord.co.uk, said: "Charging landlords renewal fees for existing tenancy agreements where the letting agent plays no part in persuading the tenant to stay, collecting the rent or managing the property is outrageous and a legal ban was long overdue."

He added that Smartlandlord.co.uk would like all letting agents' fees to be clearly stated and displayed in a transparent way.

In addition, they should only apply for services from which landlords clearly benefit, Mr Thukaram concluded.
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15/07/2009 15:34

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