Agents who are also the landlords of the properties they are showing must declare their status as the landlord or the relationship (such as a relative) between the agent and the landlord during the first viewing of the property.

Renters must be given a choice. 
  1. Agent-Landlords may use their agency's letterhead for the transaction to create the letters of intent (LOIs)and tenancy agreements (TAs), making these documents look more legitimate.
  2. Agents renting out their own property may not file that transaction with their agency.
  3. Agent-Landlords can choose not to use the standard agency template and modify the LOIs and TAs to their advantage.
  4. The Council of Estate Agents (CEA) has rules and regulations for agents to follow. 
  5. If the transaction is not filed, that agent-landlord is not bound by the CEA rules. 
  6. There won't be a middleman between the tenant and the landlord who does not have vested interest in the property if there isn't an agent, who only receives a one-time commission and does not handle the two-month security deposit.

Read more in "Why your agent shouldn't also be your landlord".

Renters must be given a choice whether to deal with a mostly-neutral party who is an agent, or directly with the landlord, who has very different interests in the property. 

This petition is asking for:
  • Agents who are showing their own property during a viewing must disclose their status as the landlord during the first viewing.
  • Agents who are relatives of the landlord must disclose their relationship with the landlord during the first viewing. 
  • This disclosure can be face-to-face, verbally during the first viewing, or via text after the first viewing, BEFORE negotiations start. 
  • Agent-Landlords must not use their agency's letterhead unless they intend to file that transaction. 
  • Agents-landlords who fail to do so must have their license suspended for three years and be put on a list of errant agents for the public to search. 

Consequences of not disclosing agent-landlord relationships:
  • Agent-landlords can modify the LOIs and TAs to their advantage, potentially duping unsuspecting renters who are not savvy or have never rented before.
  • Landlords hold the tenant/s' two month deposit. They can choose to hold the deposit after the lease has ended. Refer to our article on landlord scams on expats. 
  • To retrieve their two month deposit, tenants are at the mercy of the landlord. Their only recourse is to file a Small Claims Tribunal, which will take months and hours of work building a case showing they have not damaged the property.
  • Agents not related to the landlord for example, however, will work with the tenants and the landlord perform a handover according to market practice, rules and regulations and in turn, return a fair amount from the security deposit to the tenants.