Tenant Fees Ban to Apply From June 1st

The Government has finally announced the date for the introduction of the well documented tenant fee ban, which will come into force on all new tenancies signed after June 1st.

The long-awaited announcement was made by Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth during the Tenant Fees Bill's Third Reading.

During the reading, he said: "Implementation is subject to the parliamentary timetables and amendments need to be considered in the other place (the House of Commons)."

"We need to enable agents and landlords following Royal Assent to become compliant but we intend for the provisions to come into force on June 1, 2019."

"This would mean the ban on lettings fees would apply to all tenancies signed after this date."

Meanwhile, chief executive of the National Approved Lettings Scheme, Isobel Thomson, added: "At last agents have clarity on the date of implementation of the fee ban which the Government has laid great store by in terms of improving the lot of tenants."

"Only time will tell whether that is the case or whether tenants will end up paying more through increased rent."

"We believe that good, professional agents will be able to meet the challenges facing their businesses as a result of the ban but it is vital that enforcement is ramped up to ensure that all agents comply with the requirement and those who flout it are dealt with appropriately."

The ARLA has suggested it can help agents understand the nuances of the ban. Chief Executive David Cox added: "This now gives agents the legal certainty they need to prepare for a post tenant fees ban world. To learn about the intricacies of the legislation, we encourage agents to come to our regional meetings over the next few weeks and of course our annual Conference, where ARLA Propertymark will be doing everything it can to help agents plan and prepare for the introduction of the Bill."