Section: Private Sector Housing
Letting Agents Need to Move Quickly to Sign Up to Redress Schemes
Posted 09.09.14
Letting agents have until 1 October 2014 to register with 1 of 3 redress schemes, to ensure tenants and leaseholders have a straightforward option to hold their agents to account.
Anyone who feels they get a poor deal from their letting agent will then be able to take their complaint to the redress scheme, and could receive compensation.
The schemes are run by The Property Ombudsman, Ombudsman Services Property and the Property Redress Scheme.
The vast majority of letting agents are already signed up to one of these 3 redress schemes, but the remaining minority who haven't are being urged by the Government to do so before it becomes a legal requirement.
Other measures being introduced to protect private rented sector tenants include:
- A new voluntary code of practice to set standards for the management of property in the private rented sector.
- A new Help to Rent guide, which helps tenants understand what they should expect from their rental deal and how they can take action if they are the victim of poor standards of accommodation.
- The introduction of a model tenancy agreement, which landlords and tenants can use for longer tenancies if they wish, which will provide extra security and stability for families.
- Extra guidance for local councils on how to tackle the small minority of rogue landlords, protect tenants from illegal eviction and how best to push for harsher penalties before magistrates for housing offences where these have a real impact on peoples' lives.
