Maidenhead & Windsor

A spate of complaints about property letting agents has prompted the Maidenhead Royal Borough's trading standards service to issue a warning to tenants to be on their guard against unscrupulous practices.

The complaints form a "worrying trend" of reports about letting agencies taking a large up-front deposit for rental property and then failing to refund the deposit after the property is vacated.

Various unsubstantiated reasons are given for not refunding the money, including: the property not being cleaned adequately, items missing from the inventory, utility bills not being paid and bank payment details being insufficient.

Steve Johnson, Maidenhead trading standards manager, said: "There are many reliable and trustworthy letting agents but this kind of behaviour from their more unscrupulous colleagues is letting the side down! We have had concerns, and complaints, over a number of months about this sort of practice and a worrying trend is emerging.

"When someone has a problem with a rented property it is important that they get proper advice. For instance, if the property agent has authority to deal with all contractual matters on behalf of the owner then the tenant may be able to sue the agent for any breach of contract. However they may also have the right to sue the owner – if they can be identified. In one particular case, we are currently considering whether legal action is appropriate."

Maidenhead Trading standards would like to hear from anyone who has recently encountered problems with letting agents unjustifiably withholding deposits. Call 01628 683802.

Anyone seeking general advice about housing related problems should contact the Maidenhead Royal Borough's housing options team on 01628 683676 or 683685.

The Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead