Member Article

Strike off rogue letting agents, property expert urges

Letting agents convicted of renting out homes which are unfit to live in should not be allowed to stay in business – that’s the view of one property expert.

The appeal comes a week after it emerged that some letting agents prosecuted repeatedly for health and safety offences are still trading – and appear to be part of part of redress schemes designed to give renters confidence.

Ajay Jagota of North East-based sales and lettings firm KIS also endorsed calls from the

Residential Landlords Association for changes to council tax forms requiring householders to identify their landlord or letting agent - making it easier for councils to enforce existing laws.

The proposal formed part of an election manifesto whose key recommendations also included new tax and planning changes to encourage investment in homes to rent, a new right for tenants to renew their tenancies for up to five years and all parties pledging a period of stability in the welfare system.

The Citizen’s Advice Bureau this week accused renter’s rights of being “stuck in the dark ages” with tenants in danger of being left in a “home which turns out to be unfit to live in”.

Ajay Jagota is founder and Chief Executive Officer of the UK’s most innovative sales and lettings business, KIS:

The firm is famous for being the first letting agent in the country to abolish deposits, replacing them with a one-of-a-kind landlord insurance policy offering guaranteed rent, deposit replacement, legal assistance and round the clock third party emergency home repairs.

Ajay said: “There have been times in my career when I’ve been viewing properties and I’ve thought to myself, ‘I don’t want to inflict this home on someone, let alone have my business associated with it’ – sadly some agents don’t think that way.

“Housing is as essential as health– but if you were a doctor convicted of serious professional misconduct, you wouldn’t be allowed to practice. Why shouldn’t the same be true for letting agents?

“As it stands, you can repeatedly and unrepentantly rent out disgusting or dangerous homes, be convicted of criminal offences, and get away with it. That shouldn’t happen – but clearly there are operators out there whose convictions mean they should never be allowed to rent out a home ever again just trading as normal.

“As much as they’re so often portrayed as natural enemies, most landlords and tenants want the same thing , long-term tenancies and a system which stops the crooks.

“I’m not convinced that landlord registration schemes are the answer, as criminals are unlikely to want to identify themselves. Everything which needs to be illegal is already illegal, the RLA’s proposal makes it easier to find the people who are breaking those laws.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ajay Jagota .