Landlords face new rules to crack down on extra fees

THE law covering what fees letting agents and landlords can charge their private tenants will change from next week.

The Scottish Parliament has voted to approve secondary legislation so that all tenant charges – other than rent and a refundable deposit – will not be permitted from November 30.

The current legislation, the Rent (Scotland Act) 1984, has not been explicit enough about additional charges such as reference checks, credit checks and inventory fees.

The move follows a consultation launched earlier this year on how to deal with unfair and illegal premiums.

It is estimated that there are around 500 letting agent businesses in Scotland involved in some 150,000 private lettings per year.

Minister for housing and welfare Margaret Burgess, said: “I am pleased that the legality of pre-tenancy charges has been clarified”.