If a landlord from Open rent asks me for a prohibited fee upfront (a £150 cleaning fee) in addition to the deposit and months rent, am i able to refuse to continue with the potential tenancy route and ask for my holding fee to be returned?
(I refer to the Tenant Act September 2019 which prohibits all such fees, under threat of up to a £5000 fine.
I think ShelterCymru would be really interested to hear about this, especially if my holding fee was withheld from me.
Any advice would be great.
Too many unknowns to give a definitive answer. Just ask for it back.
Thanks David,
It sounds quite clear to me, as to my current knowledge it’s illegal to ask for prohibited fees upfront.
I’ll chat to the landlord about it tomorrow, and if there are any problems i’ll go straight to Shelter or The Property Ombudsman to get further help regarding the matter.
I dont think there is anything in the Act which says that a breach ends all obligations of the tenant. Its a negotiation. You use it as a bargaining chip.
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