Permitted payments and tenant protection information
Permitted payments for properties in England, the Tenant Fees Act 2019 means that in addition to rent, lettings agents can only charge tenants (or anyone acting on the tenant's behalf) the following permitted payments:
Holding deposits (a maximum of 1 week's rent)
Deposits (a maximum deposit of 5 weeks' rent for annual rent below £50,000, or 6 weeks' rent for annual rental of £50,000 and above)
Payments to change a tenancy agreement e.g. change of sharer (capped at £50 or, if higher, any reasonable costs)
Variation of Contract (Tenant’s Request) £50 per agreed variation. To cover the costs associated with taking landlord’s instructions as well as the preparation and execution of new legal documents.
Payments associated with early termination of a tenancy (capped at the landlord's loss or the agent's reasonably incurred costs)
Utilities, communication services (eg. telephone, broadband), TV licence and council tax
Interest payments for the late payment of rent (up to 3% above Bank of England's annual percentage rate)
Reasonable costs for replacement of lost keys or other security devices. If the loss results in locks needing to be changed, the actual costs of a locksmith, new lock and replacement keys for the tenant, landlord any other persons requiring keys will be charged to the tenant. If extra costs are incurred there will be a charge of £15.00 per hour (inc. VAT) for the time taken replacing lost key(s) or other security device(s)
Contractual damages in the event of the tenant's default of a tenancy agreement; and Any other permitted payments under the Tenant
Client Money Protection Scheme - RICS Client Money Protection Scheme
Redress Scheme - The Property Ombudsman
In addition to publishing relevant fees, lettings agents are also required to publish details of: the redress scheme they are a member of; and the name of the approved or designated Client Money Protection scheme they are a member of (if any). Please note that lettings agents are required by law to publish on their websites information for potential tenants about relevant fees, redress schemes and client money protection schemes (including the names of those schemes). Relevant fees must also be published on third party websites.
