Letting go

Labour’s plan to regulate letting and managing agents is a good start to its policy review on housing – but no more than a start.

The idea enjoys widespread support – not just from private tenants who are fed up with being ripped off by outrageous fees but from private landlords and reputable agents too. As Labour points out: ‘It’s a peculiarity of current policy that while estate agents, who hold very little money on behalf of their clients, are regulated, letting agents who hold significant sums on behalf of landlords and tenants are not.’

Read the rest of this post at Inside Edge, my blog for Inside Housing