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Morning Briefing: reaction to letting agents fees ban coming into force
The long-awaited ban on letting agency fees finally came into force over the weekend, with the national media reporting on the impact of the move.
In the news
It was way back in November 2016 when the government first said it would ban letting agency fees. Now, a mere two and a half years later, it has come good on the promise, with the fees finally outlawed on Saturday.
This prompted plenty of national media coverage. The Guardian took a look at what happens now, providing a helpful list of changes that are and aren’t legal. A similar piece in The Sun includes a box entitled How to haggle with your landlord and bring down your rent. The BBC reports tenants’ reaction to the move, while Letting Agent Today thinks agents should cope by investing in better IT.
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In other news, The Business Desk, which reports on regional business news, carries a story about Together Housing selling off a tower block outside Halifax from which it had recently removed dangerous cladding.
Politics Home features an opinion piece from the House Builders Association that says modular is not as important as planning reform in solving the housing crisis.
Scottish Housing News reports that £62m has been spent on discretionary housing payments in Scotland in the past 12 months.
For something a little different, City Metric has a look at the housing market in Tokyo, where house prices are not soaring despite the growth of the city. It finds zoning and planning reform, including dropping its green belt twice, have contributed to higher housing delivery in the Japan capital.
On social media
PlaceShapers director Rachel Orr has her say on the letting agent fees ban:
If you are a letting agent you are providing a service to a landlord - letting property on their behalf. Some landlords saying they will increase rents to tenants to cover agents fees is just openly admitting opportunism - or greed #TenantFeesAct
— Rachael Orr (@Rachaelorrsome)
t.co/kjr8nilcwfIf you are a letting agent you are providing a service to a landlord - letting property on their behalf. Some landlords saying they will increase rents to tenants to cover agents fees is just openly admitting opportunism - or greed #TenantFeesAct
— Rachael Orr (@Rachaelorrsome) June 2, 2019
https://t.co/kjr8nilcwf
Our Rising Star Oliver Harling will be guest editing our pages this week, and it looks as if he is looking forward to it:
Getting ready for what’s set to be a top day with @insidehousing at their office in London tomorrow. Watch this space.... 👀 #ukhousing
— Oliver Harling (@oliverharling_h)>Getting ready for what’s set to be a top day with @insidehousing at their office in London tomorrow. Watch this space.... \uD83D\uDC40 #ukhousing
— Oliver Harling (@oliverharling_h) June 2, 2019