Letting agents have previously charged fees for things such as simply entering a tenancy as well as for making a change to the tenancy agreement. It often costs the renter hundreds of pounds to have these things done, far too much for what is, essentially, a simple task. Sometimes it’s even the case that letting agencies are charging people to pick up the keys to their rental property, something which renters certainly cannot avoid. 

Students are amongst the largest number of people who disagree that landlords should be allowed to charge so much, as it puts them off renting privately as they just can’t afford it. Young people are already struggling enough in this day and age as it is in terms of finance, without having to be hindered by something like this which they’re gaining no benefits from.

It seems that the rest of the public feels the same way. In a recent petition which was presented to Downing Street, around a quarter of a million people signed it in order to get rid of these pointless fees. In Scotland, letting agency fees were abolished in 2012 and it seems that we now feel entitled to this too. 

It was announced on the 23rd November by the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, that letting agency fees have now been banned. As a result, shares in letting agencies dropped over fears of what this will mean for the future.