NLA - Letting agent renewal fees should be scrapped

Letting agent renewal fees are unfair and should be scrapped, it has been claimed.

The call comes from the National Landlords Association (NLA), which described the fees as a means for agents to receive "money for nothing".

It follows the Office of Fair Trading's pursuit of a court order to protect landlords from "severely camouflaged" fees for services they have not requested or "consciously agreed to".

David Salusbury, chairman of the NLA, said: "Although this is clearly good news for landlords, the NLA is still calling for these unfair renewal fees to be scrapped."

Mr Salusbury questioned the fairness of a system which allows letting agents to charge landlords when a tenant chooses to renew their tenancy even when the agent has provided no services during the length of the contract.

He added: "The message to all letting agents is now clear: do not try and mislead your clients.

"Our advice to landlords remains the same. Always check the small print before signing on the dotted line."

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