Low-fee referencing check service launches

A new low-fee referencing check service that enables agents and landlords to vet tenants quicker and more affordably has been launched by a Wirall-based company. The move comes as agents and landlords face increased cost pressures should referencing be included in an all-out letting fees ban. The unveiling comes just a few days after ARLA called for referencing to be kept out of the letting fees ban, saying it was “disappointed that the current proposal is for an all-out ban”. Last month the government outlined how agents and landlords would not be able to charge tenants “any fees, premiums or charges that meet the general definition of facilitating the granting, renewal or continuance of a tenancy”. Reference checks This means that, should the fees ban proceed unmodified, landlords and agents will increasingly seek out the most cost-effective ways to reference check tenants. And the reference check industry is rapidly re-inventing itself to face such a change. Wallasey-based LetHQ is part of that trend. It says it offers the “very best in referencing services at the most affordable prices”. Its MD Simon Skinner (pictured, left, with this team) told The Negotiator that although the launch is not a direct response to…