London Trading Standards warn tenants to understand their rights or be at risk of being ripped off by "rogue lettings agents"

The attack on "rogue landlords" has been a popular one for a while but now it seems to be the turn of lettings agents.

London Trading Standards (LTS) has given a stark warning to tenants to make sure they understand their rights to avoid being "ripped off by rogue lettings agents". LTS goes on to claim that 46% of lettings agents don't comply with the rules and that fines to the tune of £1.2m had been handed out in a 15 month period. On top of that there had been 14 criminal prosecutions. Read the full article here:

http://www.londontradingstandards.org.uk/news/tenants-warned-to-beware-of-rogue-letting-agents-as-new-figures-show-more-than-46-dont-comply-with-the-law/

The article doesn't give any detail as to the level of breach but there's no doubt that the figures are alarming. At Woodstock we work with great agents and it's rare that we come across an agent intentionally in breach of their legal obligation. That being said, there is now more red tape than ever in the private rental sector so it is crucial (not least for your peace of mind) to keep on top of your legal obligations, ensure staff are properly trained and that you have the right processes in place.

At Woodstock we offer helplines, legal training, precedent documents and process reviews. If you have any doubts as to your legal obligations then get in touch and make sure you are signed up to our blog!