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Labour defeated in House of Lords
Peers failed to back Labour’s amendments to the Consumer Rights Bill in the House of Lords on Monday evening.
The opposition was calling for two amendments to the bill relating to estate and letting agents. Firstly to ban “sale by tender” transactions, and secondly to ban letting agents charging tenants fees.
Emma Reynolds MP, Labour’s shadow housing minister, said: “It’s very disappointing that Lib Dem and Tory Peers failed to back Labour’s measures to tackle rip-off letting and estate agents.
“Tonight Labour stood up for consumers who want a fairer housing market but the Lib Dems and Tories failed to do the same.
“The next Labour Government will ban letting agent fees on tenants, end the practice of double charging and improve consumer protection.”
Stella Creasy MP, Labour’s shadow consumer affairs minister, said: “There is a clear conflict of interest when an agent can charge two people for the same service- Labour has a clear plan for addressing these problems.
“By their opposition to these proposals this Government has shown it has no understanding of the impact of the rip off fees estate agents and letting agents charge and it is consumers who end up paying an extortionate price for their failure to act.”
