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Generation Rent takes fees ban to the Lords
Lobbying group Generation Rent is to maintain its campaign to have letting agent fees banned. It hopes to gain favour in the Lords, pointing out: “Unlike MPs, lords don’t get their letting agent fees paid on expenses, so we’re expecting more support.”
It is taking its fight to the Lords to reinstate a Labour clause to the Consumer Rights Bill. Last week, the Labour amendment seeking to outlaw both upfront fees to tenants and renewal fees was defeated by 58 votes in the Commons.
But, in a reference to the number of politicians who both own rental properties and also pay rent while living in London to be close to Parliament, Generation Rent’s Dan Wilson Craw said: “This campaign isn’t dead.
“We’ll be working with enlightened peers to bring this back in the Lords.
“Unlike MPs, lords don’t get their letting agent fees paid on expenses, so we’re expecting more support.”
The irony will not be lost on those agents who, infuriated by Labour’s vowed intent to ban fees, suggested that MPs’ expenses should also banned.
Meanwhile, the meeting between the heads of all three tenancy deposit schemes and Generation Rent duly took place on Thursday, as anticipated by Eye.
But, curiously, no one is saying much – and it all seems very polite.
On its website, Generation Rent’s director, the former Labour candidate Alex Hilton, writes under the headline ‘Deposits gone for a Burton’: “You may have seen us on Channel 4 News recently discussing their investigation into rent-to-rent landlord Daniel Burton.
“Just to update you, we met yesterday with the heads of all three schemes to discuss how tenants can be protected from people like Burton.
“We had a very productive meeting and we will continue to discuss a range of ideas on issues around the Daniel Burton story. We’ll let you know how these discussions progress.”
Kevin Firth of the Deposit Protection Service told Eye: “A constructive meeting was held between the TDP schemes and Generation Rent, and conversations are continuing on a range of issues raised by the Channel 4 documentary.”
http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/generation-rent-tells-peers-reinstate-letting-agents-fees-ban/
