Update 14.07.2017: Queen’s Speech�

Her Majesty The Queen delivered a speech to both Houses of Parliament on June 21st, 2017. In her address, The Queen briefly mentioned the housing market and the possibility of banning letting agent fees.

“Proposals will be brought forward to ban unfair tenant fees, promote fairness and transparency in the housing market, and help ensure more homes are built.”

Just as previous official mentions, there is no direct promise to ban fees to tenants. Instead, Her Majesty mentioned that proposals will be brought forward into parliament, but it’s unclear if any will make it through.

Still, the potential ban to letting agent fees has high hopes of seeing light as it was included in the election manifesto of all three major parties prior to the general election on 8th of June. With so much political backing, morale is high that the fees ban will prevail.

Update 06.12.2016: Fees are likely to stay with us until 2018

The organisation has confirmed with the DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) that consultation on the legislation will begin during 2017 (more likely not immediately in January) and that the DCLG would favour a primary legislation.

What this means is that the government will require full consultation on the matter before drafting the law, which is the slower of two routes and is not likely to happen during next year.

As the buzz seems to wonder off, it’s beginning to get more and more clear that tenants are looking at another full year of letting agent fees.