One of the most stressful parts of moving house is the fact that it costs a bomb. From the deposit to new furniture, you're soon left wondering why you didn't just stay in your old place.
However, things are set to get a little bit easier starting from today (1 June), as a new law has been put in place to eradicate admin fees when it comes to renting.
As part of the Tenants Fee Act 2019, landlords and letting agents are now limited when it comes to charging tenants, and can no longer force you to pay hundreds of pounds for reference checking, credit checks and guarantors. Get in.
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What's more, things like changes to the lease and picking up keys have to be included in the rent - and if the landlord thinks the home's bills are too high, they have the power to sack the agents.
Another couple of details on the act include a cap on deposits, holding fees and moving out early and late charges.
Sounds like a good deal, right? In such a volatile housing market, renters need all the help they can get.
However, there are, of course, a couple of downsides. 1) If your tenancy agreement was signed before today, then the new rules don't apply to you - although they will on 1 June 2020, so sit tight if this is you. And 2) some people are worried that these new rules mean landlords will just bump up the rent price.
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However, the latter is something housing minister Heather Wheeler said has not happened in places like Scotland, where this sort of scheme has been in place for years, adding that it will just be a more 'level playing field for renters and buyers'.
Speaking to The Bristol Post, she said: "What's really interesting is that over the last few years we have noticed that there are more renters in the country than ever before, particularly in places such as Bristol.
"Whatever else is going on in the housing market, there has to be a level playing field between the buyers and renters.
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"There have been some horrendous stories of rip off fees being charged by letting agents and what we wanted to do with this change in law is drive out the rogue letting agents and landlords.
"We want a quality market run by quality letting agents."
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