Petition Estate agents' administration fees

Estate agents should be prohibited by law from charging prospective tenants "finder's fees" (often alternatively described as "administration fees").

The practice is widespread and often also occurs when existing tenants seek extensions of an existing lease.

The practice takes advantage of vulnerable members of society - for example, those who cannot afford to buy a property and students who are competing for limited numbers of rental properties and who therefore have limited scope to challenge the practice themselves.

The practice is also contrary to the concept of agency, which as a matter of general law requires that an agent should only charge the principal (i.e. the landlord) for their services.