Former Labour housing minister John Healey has launched a ten minute rule bill which seeks to establish a national mandatory licensing scheme for letting and managing agents.
The Letting Agents (Competition, Choice and Standards) Bill 2013-14 will establish standards and redress for landlords, tenants and leaseholders, and prohibition of letting and management agent fees.
Local authorities will administer and enforce the scheme which will require that tenants, landlords and leaseholders have written agreements.
Local authorities, either alone or in partnership will be empowered to trade as letting and managing agents.
The bill will have its second reading in the House of Commons on the 18 October.
