UK tenants feel ripped off by agents, says Upad

Friday 3rd August 2012

Tenants across the UK have complained that they feel ripped off by letting agents, it has been claimed.

Self-service online agent Upad conducted a survey, which was nationwide with a special emphasis on Scotland, where Shelter has an ongoing Reclaim Your Fees campaign.

In Scotland, agents are not allowed to charge upfront fees, but Shelter says that some have been made to pay for unlawful services. As a result of its campaign, around 870 people have begun legal proceedings.
 
The Upad survey asked tenants across the UK what the most pressing issue was nowadays and discovered that high deposits and getting them returned was one of the biggest factors.

A significant proportion of tenants claimed that they were made to pay a 12-months or longer deposit.

The survey revealed that while 73% of respondents across the UK rented property through a lettings agent, 93% of this number felt they were being charged sky-high fees, and 79% said that the level of service they received did not reflect the fees they paid.

One respondent said they paid £444 for a very slow reference check.

When asked how much they paid to move into their current property excluding rent and deposit, a number of respondents said they paid up to £5,000.