Landlord must join new tenant redress scheme

Landlords will be obliged to join an ombudsman redress scheme as part of government efforts to give tenants greater protection.

The new measures were unveiled by the Communities Secretary Sajid Javid. He said the government will also oblige letting agents to be registered so they are subjected to proper professional oversight.

The new system will make it easier for tenants to challenge excessive fees and unfair treatment. In a separate move, landlords will be offered incentives to provide longer tenancies to give renters greater security.

Mr Javid said: “For too long, tenants have felt unable to resolve the issues they've faced, be it insecure tenure, unfair letting agents' fees or poor treatment by their landlord with little to no means of redress. We're going to change that. “We will insist that all landlords are part of a redress scheme and we will regulate letting agents who want to operate.

“Everyone has a right to feel safe and secure in their own homes and we will make sure they do.”Meanwhile, Parliament has begun work on the Draft Tenant Fees Bill that will make it illegal for agents to charge tenants letting fees.

Ministers say the level of fees charged are often not clearly or consistently explained, leaving many tenants unaware of the true costs of renting a property. This latest action will help improve transparency, affordability and competition in the private rental market. It will also prevent agents from double charging both tenants and landlords for the same services.

As part of wider plans to improve the rental market, the government has already introduced measures that crack down on the small minority of rogue landlords who shirk their responsibilities.

Earlier this year, the law was changed to allow councils to impose fines of up to £30,000 as an alternative to prosecution for a range of housing offences.

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