Letting agent fee ban pledge

Doncaster’s letting agents should be banned from charging rip-off fees, says Rosie.

She believes the move would save renters in the borough around £350 in costs.

The Doncaster Central MP also wants to introduce three-year tenancies – backing plans unveiled last week by Labour leader and Doncaster North MP Ed Miliband.

She said: “Families who are renting in Doncaster are often worried about the prospect that their rent could jump up by a big amount from one year to the next. They want to be able to settle down, put down roots and have peace of mind.

“While David Cameron’s government refuses to act, I believe these plans will give families the security of a longer tenancy and predictable rents to stop excessive rises so that they can manage tight family finances and plan ahead.

“If you buy your home, most estate agents will not charge you fees, but people in Doncaster who rent are given no protection and they get charged £350 on average.

“That’s a lot of money for a lot of people and that’s why I will support plans to legislate to ban these rip-off charges by letting agents.”

Rosie said nine million people are living in rented homes today, over a million families, and over two million children.

She said: “One of the biggest causes of the cost of living crisis in our country is the price of renting or buying a home.

“That’s why a Labour government will make sure that Britain builds 200,000 more homes a year by the end of the next Parliament so that more families can fulfil their dream of home ownership.”

Figures show that renters are now paying on average £1020 a year more in rent than in 2010, and renting is now the most expensive form of tenure.

The cost of letting agents’ fees, which can be up to £500 every time someone moves house, has added to the growing cost of renting.

Under the current legislation, renters can typically only get short term tenancies of 6 to 12 months which doesn’t work for families looking to settle down.