Letting agents once again came under fire tonight this time
in the spotlight of BBC1’s Watchdog, which highlighted a more high profile case
than normal, that of the actor Nigel Havers who found himself a victim of a Manchester
letting agents, who made him pay 6 months money up front then promptly told him
at month 5 his landlord had sold his flat and he had to move out.
Now you and me both know that this practice goes on and we
know that is it not legal nor is it ethical, but if tenants are not aware of
their rights and do not know where to turn for advice, stories like this will
continue to make media headlines.
The piece emphasised that even though Estate agents are
legally required to be a member of a redress scheme since 2008, letting agents
to date still do not have to be a member of any governing body nor do they need
to belong to any ombudsman, although it is recommended.
The piece went onto show how some agents ‘top up’ their
income by forcing tenants to use the agents energy supplier, writing terms into
the tenancy agreement that would have tenants believe they have no right to
change supplier and find the best tariff for their usage.
More worrying is that the agents named and shamed in the story were
not dodgy backstreet agents, they were High street leading names, who should be
monitored by the bodies that claim to be at the height of regulating the agents
that pay to join them
I find it mind boggling and extremely frustrating that the
powers that be still allow this to happen, even after hundreds of thousands of
tenants and landlords alike are ripped off or conned daily by rogue agents, yet
ministers still drag their heels umming and ahhing as to whether it’s a good
idea.
The irony of this watchdog article is that it was aired
during SafeAgent week…. Something that is highly publicised within the industry
yet the people that it needs to reach, the general public, remain totally
unaware of its existence or what it stands for.
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