There are many changes afoot in the property and rental markets. Every few years we find news headlines saying this is being updated and that. Last year came the need for landlords to have the proper insurance to cover them and their tenants – although I’m sure that if I was renting to anyone, however friendly we maybe, I would want to be absolutely certain of my insurance cover for public and personal liability. The latest change in rentals is the government stating that a lot of the pre-rental fees landlords expect new tenants to pay upfront before they get the keys are illegal and must not be passed on to the tenant.
It’s pretty unfair, the landlord should be paying them anyway – searches to check the tenant’s ability to pay rent; damage waiver indemnity; inventory fee; additional deposit for goodwill etc. etc. they go on for ages and some young folk have found themselves having to fork out a thousand or so on top of the two or three months rent.