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Letting agents are the scourge of the low-paid
by Joe Cook

An early experience with a well-known high street letting agent would have been comical had it not been excruciatingly painful.

Several years ago, needing a home to rent, I approached their city centre shop with a view to renting a modestly small flat with my partner.

I prepared myself for disclosure of “charges” which we as a nation seem to have become depressingly accustomed to. Along with the usual hundreds of pounds in scandalous admin fees and reference checks, there was an additional charge of £50. It was labelled as a “£50 key handover charge.”

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