The Association of Residential Letting Agents is again issuing warnings to people looking to rent for the first time. They are urging them to be on the alert for rogue letting agents as well as logos which could be either fake or mean very little as to the credentials of the agent.
ARLA feel that the internet and especially online forums can be a hotspot for unscrupulous agents because there is hardly any regulation about who can post an advert online. It is also relatively cheap and in some cases free to setup a website. The global nature of the internet means people who are do not even live in the United Kingdom can very easily advertise properties to rent. Some will be legitimate, but a lot will not be. The Association of Residential Letting Agents advise prospective tenants to be dubious of letting agents who do not offer full viewing or an inspection of a property. There has also been an increase in the number of people being shown around a property that is already being rented to another individual and by the time this is discovered, the agent has vanished with the deposit and four weeks rent.
Ian Potter, managing director of ARLA, said: “Unfortunately, there are many horror stories of rogue lettings agents, as the rental sector is unregulated. This means anyone can set up shop as an agent, or become a landlord. Warning signs of bad practice can include landlords offering property for much less than market rents, or advertising properties with no deposit to pay. Others may ask for deposits to be paid before the tenant has visited the property, supposedly in order to seal the deal.”
ARLA are not trying to scare prospective tenants because there are a huge number of decent property owners who work with agents to look after tenants, take out landlord insurance and carry out all the safety checks. However tenants should always check whether the agent belongs to a professional organisation and that they have client money protection.