News | Unipol accredited landlords taken to tribunal

Posted on by The Gryphon Web Editor

Three Unipol accredited landlords have been taken to a tribunal in the past year, LS can reveal. The offences included charging hidden fees and failure to provide tenancy documents.

In February, Red Door Lets became the latest agency to be held to account. The agency, which describes itself as a ‘Unipol Code supporter’ charged a hidden £192 House in Multiple Occupation fee, which LS understands has since been reduced £119.12.

Third-year Geography student Christopher Hunter said: “I feel that Red Door Lets needs to be removed from Unipol completely. Unipol does well at looking after students. However, they would be better off dropping certain landlords and agencies from the Code if they don’t abide by it”.

The tenant claimed Red Door Lets had threatened further charges if they failed to accept the offer.

Unipol suspended two members from the Code last year, including an agency that displayed the incorrect Unipol logo on its website and falsely claimed that all its properties were Unipol accredited. Red Door Lets will not be suspended following its tribunal.

A First-year Engineering student told this paper: ‘I’d be less likely to rent a house if it wasn’t linked to Unipol’.

Speaking to LS, Unipol Development Manager Victoria Loverseed said the tribunal had a “positive outcome”. When asked whether Unipol would consider suspending Red Door Lets from the Code, she said: “In this case, Red Door Lets had properly protected the tenants’ deposits, as they are required by law. They have now amended their standard tenancy agreement”.
She warned that students have a three-month deadline from the end of their tenancy to raise a dispute with the tenancy deposit schemes.

Charlotte Mason

photo: Leeds Met SU

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