Trading Standards fine London lettings agents £370,000 in three months

Letting agents in London who were hoping Trading Standards would ease off investigating those who don’t display their fees properly as the fees ban looms have been in for a nasty shock. Over the past three months letting agents in the capital have been fined £370,000 by the city’s 15 trading standards offices, it has been revealed. The fines are part of a big push by the capital-wide organisation that coordinates the policing of businesses in the city, London Trading Standards, to crack down on “rogue letting agents who flout the law”. The shocking figures highlighting the level of fines levied on letting agents have been released to coincide with a week-long campaign of activity by the organisation, which kicked off on Monday highlighting knife crime, followed by lettings and property management firms yesterday. Fees display London Trading Standards is focussing largely on agents who don’t display their fees clearly and issuing fines of up to £5,000 to those who transgress “to improve the rental experience for customers”. Its most high-profile scalp was earlier this month when Camden Council’s trading standards department won an appeal in the Upper Tier Tribunal against Foxtons using the term ‘administration fees’, which led to…

Read More »