Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Bill [HL]

My Lords, the amendment would extend the scope of the Estate Agents Act 1979 to include lettings and property management. As I mentioned in Grand Committee, the Estate Agents Act 1979 applies only to those engaged in estate agency work, and the OFT report on estate agents did not consider the case for extending it to cover lettings and property management. Consequently, we do not have the evidence base to extend the provisions of the 1979 Act in this way. As my noble friend Lord Dubs correctly acknowledged, amending the 1979 Act to cover lettings and property management would be difficult. Its scope is limited to issues specific to the buyingand selling of land. This is clear in fundamental definitions contained in the Act, for example, ““interests in land””, and from the duties owed by estate agents, such as information to be given to clients. Amending the Act to make it fit for the purpose intended by noble Lords would require a lot of detailed work. I can assure the noble Lord, Lord Best, and my noble friends Lord Dubs and Lord Borrie that the Government take the issue of lettings extremely seriously. Steps have already been taken to tackle problem areas such as tenants’ deposits and houses in multiple occupation. I can assure the House that the Government will continue to monitor the lettings sector and take action where they find evidence of market failure. That applies also to the wider property sector as a whole. However, given the views expressed in your Lordships’ House this evening, I undertake to consider this matter further.