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Tenants ‘charged excessively’ by lettings agents
Thursday, May 21st, 2009People living in rented accommodation are often charged excessive amounts of money by lettings agents, a new report has found.
Research carried out by Citizens Advice discovered that 94 per cent of agents have imposed up to seven additional charges on tenants above those usually associated with renting out a property.
These can add up to a total of £600, the charity warned, stating that tenants are being "badly let down" by the rental system.
Costs that can be imposed on people include non-returnable holding deposits, reference check charges, inventory expenses, tenancy renewal fees and administration charges.
David Harker, chief executive of Citizens Advice, noted that these costs can create "a huge barrier for people on low and even average incomes".
He called upon the government to bring in extra regulations for lettings agents.
It comes following the publication of the Rugg review, which revealed that vulnerable groups can sometimes be exploited by landlords.
By Jamie Price
