Is this the end of 'online letting agents'

whalster

I have been reading about the Which? survey on letting agent practice and infringement of ASA rules by either not listing full scales of fees and charges or charging different fees and charges from those outlined to a prospective tenant.
This is a very innovative approach to push letting agent licensing forward however where does this leave online letting agents such as Upad ? or indeed their overlords at Rightmove and Zoopla?
If I use an online agent in London and my property is in say Newcastle under the current advertising rules even an online letting agent should be publishing the fee structure for any prospective tenant if then that online agent does not conduct all the viewings tenancy agreement handover etc who is to say they are not in breach of the rules if the landlord charges a different scale of fees.
These problems exist now just under current legislation on advertising what happens when a full letting agent licensing system comes into force? Online agents will have to be licensed as well as high street agents, they have built their business model around being agents so how do they avoid legal action from tenants who have been misrepresented not just with fees but many other things too?

propertyman

No as there are two schools of thought- one we do not advertise any information on fees etc and will provide these and the other where terms are standardised and available on a link.

It has to be understood that terms vary property to property and client to client , even day to day eg a Sunday check out/check in is more expensive than a Wednesday and applicant to applicant eg checking one person as a family let as against four sharers.

it makes it very hard to comply with the ruling in a meaningful way a detailed T & C is likely ignored. Unless the applicant views it and absorbs it, it makes no real practical difference. In most cases they will view and cross that bridge...status quo