Petition · past parliament
Make letting agency fees for tenants illegal
Rejected
18 signatures
What the petition asks
Letting agents charge 'referencing fees' that are completely and utterly arbitrary. They range from £80-400 per person depending on where you're house hunting, however the actual cost of referencing is £15-30 via dedicated services that letting agencies use. It should be the landlords that pay.
Scotland successfully banned them 2012, and it's been a total success. Rents didn't rise any more than they did in the rest of the UK, and now it's easier than ever for Scottish people to move properties when needed.
If we are going to move towards a 'generation rent' then we must strengthen the rights of renters and cut down on predatory practices whereby letting agents can charge tenants whatever they want because they have a monopoly on a given property.
If we are going to move towards a 'generation rent' then we must strengthen the rights of renters and cut down on predatory practices whereby letting agents can charge tenants whatever they want because they have a monopoly on a given property.
Why it was rejected
There was already a petition about this issue. Duplicates are rejected so signatures collect in one place.
Timeline
| 10 Sep 2016 | Petition opened for signatures |
| 12 Sep 2016 | Rejected by the Petitions Committee |
Key facts
Signatures
18
Status
Rejected
Rejected
12 Sep 2016
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 15 Jul 2026.