Permitted payments and tenant protection information

TENANTS FEES:

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 lower, any reasonable costs);
• Payments associated with early termination of a tenancy (capped at the landlord's loss or the agent's reasonably incurred costs);
• Utilities, communication services (e.g. 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;
• Contractual damages in the event of the tenant's default of a tenancy agreement; and
• Any other permitted payments under the Tenant Fees Act 2019.

For properties in Wales, the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Bill, once enacted, 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;
• Utilities, communication services (e.g. telephone, broadband), TV licence and council tax;
• Payments for the late payment of rent;
• A breach of a term of the contract;
• Any other permitted payments under the Renting Homes (Fees etc.) (Wales) Bill and regulations once enacted.

Tenant protection

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).