Tenants fees banned!

Some good news for tenants! Did you know that if you signed a tenancy agreement after the 1st June 2019, landlords and Letting Agents can no longer charge you most fees?
This includes:

• Administration fees
• Fees for reference checks
• Fees for Credit Checks
• Fees for immigration checks

What you can still be charged for.

You can still be charged for or asked to pay;

• A holding deposit
• A tenancy deposit
• Rent in advance
• Late payment of rent (up to a certain amount and only if this is mentioned in your tenancy agreement
• Replacing lost keys (if mentioned in your tenancy agreement)
• Your landlord or agent can charge you if you end your fixed term tenancy early or you leave without giving notice. This can only be to cover any money lost by your landlord, for example rent.
• You can be charged £50 if you want to change a term in your tenancy or assign it to someone else. The landlord can only charge above this if they can prove it cost them more.
• If you signed a tenancy agreement before the 1st June 2019, you can be charged for renewing it if this was mentioned in your previous tenancy agreement.
  What can I do if I have been charged a banned fee?

If you’ve been charged a banned fee, you can complain to Trading Standards at your Council and if it’s an Estate Agent, to the Letting Agent’s Redress Scheme. You can also apply to a Tribunal to get your money back. If you pay a banned fee to your landlord, they can’t give you a ‘Section 21’ notice (two months’ notice to leave your home) until they give you the fee back.

If you are a private tenant in Rochdale or Bolton and need further advice about tenant fees, CONTACT US.

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