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  • Rent increase after Fee Ban? No thank you

Rent increase after Fee Ban? No thank you

17 Dec 2019

The Fee Ban was a well-needed piece of legislation as it stopped agents from abusing the power they have over the tenants.

Many agencies were charging tenants for referencing, for inventories, for viewings, when actually the landlords were supposed to pay for that service. It resulted in hefty application fees, sometimes so high that it prevented tenants from moving home.

Unfortunately, the Fee Ban has impacted the rent negatively, as many agents tried recouping their losses via increased rents, in a move to transfer the cost of the bill to the tenants, as explained in this article.

At Rent Happily, we haven't raised a single rent due to the Fee Ban, because we have never changed fees to tenants in the first place, even when it was still lawful to do so.

Also, we have always encouraged long term tenancies, and not charging application fees has been instrumental in allowing free movement of tenants if they wish to do so, which is one of the key premises of the rental market. And our results speak for themselves, our retention level being twice as long as the market average.

Actually, we see the Fee Ban as an opportunity for agencies to become more efficient, to charge only what is necessary, when necessary, and to favour longer tenancies.




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  • I have only ever had good experiences with Rent Happily. The team are friendly and helpful, they treat us with respect and I've always felt like they value us as tenants. Not something I've come to expect from an estate agent! Thanks for being the kind of estate agent I am happy to write a testimonial for!

    Zoe R. Happy Tenant
  • I have been renting with this agency for more than 5 years and never had a problem with them. Very good service and very kind and helpful when we need to sort something out. Highly recommended.

    Mario S. Happy Tenant
  • Thanks for everything. You’re dealing with my application so efficiently and faster than anyone I've experienced before in this kind of situations.

    Matias J. Happy Tenant
  • We have been extremely impressed with the service offered by Rent Happily; they're very prompt and professional when dealing with us or with the tenants and ensuring that we are adhering to regulations. I really wanted to emphasise how great you guys are without going OTT. Surely the best letting agency in bristol!

    Angela and Leroy G. Happy Landlords
  • After nearly three happy years renting this house, I now have to leave. I'm so thankful for this time living at the house; absolutely everything has been positive about this experience. Thanks a lot for everything!

    Damaris M. Happy Tenant
  • Thanks for your wonderful job you are doing over there!

    Atinsola B. Happy Landlord