Following the vote, this article makes a number of important points. The industry certainly needs regulation. Banning fees just proves their ignorance, and how poor are the quality of the briefings that MP’s get from a small number of biased activists.

http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/will-ban-letting-agent-fees-vows-labours-shadow-housing-minister/

Thankfully the MPs voted against.

Yes, change is needed. The review article here covers a lot of important points. I am sure it will resurface as there’s votes in it, and Agents DO need some form of professional membership to all but guarantee minimum standards eg membership of ARLA.

http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/letting-agent-fees-sigh-relief-time/

Vote in parliament is being rushed through. Manipulation by the devious Milliband. Its appalling and ill-informed, and the statistics that are being used appear to be wildly inaccurate. As for landlords finding that “£500 is a drop in the ocean”, it is contemptible that anyone is so badly informed of the facts that they would make such a claim and believe it to be true.

Ive added my comments to the article below.

http://www.propertyindustryeye.com/crucial-vote-letting-agents-fees-due-tomorrow/#comment-1397

NLA (National Landlords Association) London Rep writes an excellent article. Milliband needs to read and understand this!

http://nlauk.wordpress.com/2014/05/02/labour-party-housing-policy-is-flawed/?dm_i=11G,2FJDX,CADIQ4,8U75H,1

http://www.landlordtoday.co.uk/news_features/Labour-pledges-to-reform-rental-sector

Typical political nonsense. Labour again proving that they dont understand markets. They will distort the market and reduce the number of landlords (who will not be able to make a profit, nor manage all the administration) and therefore reduce the number of properties available in the private rented sector. Duh!

I dont suppose politicians will ever learn to keep out of markets and stop interfering in things they dont understand. Fools, knaves, thieves…the list of adjectives is endless.

Politicians need to pass an exam on economics (Balls & Milliband immediately removed) and work at least 5 years in a private sector job before they can become an MP. That would disqualify all(?) of the eejuts we are currently having to tolerate.