Autumn Statement: Hammond confirms letting fees ban

As expected Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has announced this lunchtime in his Autumn Statement that letting fees for tenants are to be banned outright “to improve competition in the private rental market and give renters greater clarity and control over what they will pay,” he said. David Cox, MD of ARLA, disagrees: “A ban on letting agent fees is a draconian measure, and will have a profoundly negative impact on the rental market. It will be the fourth assault on the sector in just over a year, and do little to help cash-poor renters save enough to get on the housing ladder. This decision is a crowd-pleaser, which will not help renters in the long-term. All of the implications need to be taken into account. A ban on letting agent fees is a draconian measure, and will have a profoundly negative impact on the rental market.’ “Most letting agents do not profit from fees. Our research shows that the average fee charged by ARLA licenced agents is £202 per tenant, which we think is fair, reasonable and far from exploitative for the service tenants receive.” The ban that been on the cards for months and according to Isobel…

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