The Estate Agency Foundation has confirmed that it has handed over a donation of £20,000 to Shelter.
The disclosure follows news that Zoopla gave the organisation, which has been campaigning against letting agents’ fees, just over £30,000 – meaning that more than £50,000 has been given this year alone by the property industry.
The Foundation supports a variety of homeless charities including Shelter, which is running a campaign in Scotland for tenants charged fees within the last five years to reclaim them from agents – an action forecast to close down some firms and lose jobs.
This year, some £70,000 was raised for EAF by a marathon cycle ride organised by Jon Cooke.
However, EAF says that its relationship with Shelter for next year is ‘under review’.
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Comments
Quote " Shelter does good things, and it has a point over fees from tenants - modify your business model and move on!"
Name the good things Shelter does! I have been in their office and it was basically a tenants advice line.
They should raise funds as a tenant advice line instead of piggybacking as a homeless charity.
Quote "They are a worthy cause".
I disagree entirely, let the users fund the service they provide and stop taking money from proper homeless charities.
Quote "I am an agent, we do not charge our tenants anything except a fee to get their references and we make no profit on that at all."
Illegal in Scotland thanks to Shelter.
Quote "They pay a holding fee, but that is used in the first month's rent and deposit when they move in."
Illegal in Scotland thanks to Shelter.
Quote "They also pay an inventory check-out charge when they leave".
Grey area as to whether legal or illegal thanks to Shelter.
Quote "Other than that the rest (as far as the tenant is concerned) is free".
So just the same fees as were charged by agents in Scotland prior to Shelter's campaign.
Quote "Other than greed, I cannot see why an agent would do it any other way..."
I think that Shelter would regard you as a rogue unscrupulous greedy letting agent.
Shelter does good things, and it has a point over fees from tenants - modify your business model and move on!
They are a worthy cause.
I am an agent, we do not charge our tenants anything except a fee to get their references and we make no profit on that at all.
They pay a holding fee, but that is used in the first month's rent and deposit when they move in.
They also pay an inventory check-out charge when they leave.
Other than that the rest (as far as the tenant is concerned) is free.
Other than greed, I cannot see why an agent would do it any other way...
Some people believe that Shelter provide accommodation to homeless people in a similar manner as The Salvation Army due to their name.
In fact they are only a political pressure group that does not deal directly with homelessness but campaigns for tenants rights.
I think a lot of people are duped by Shelter into thinking that the money they are giving is being used to help homeless people.
Shelter's behaviour is not in keeping with the standards that you would expect of a charity, They are happy to use untrue statistics to demonise letting agents and landlords. e.g. http://media.shelter.org.uk/home/press_releases/almost_one_million_people_victim_of_landlord_scams,_shelter_research_reveals3
I am sure that there are plenty of charities that deserve donations more than Shelter and if tenant's want an organisation to represent them politically then they should fund it themselves instead of taking money that should be going to helpping the homeless.
Some people believe that Shelter provide accommodation to homeless people in a similar manner as The Salvation Army due to their name.
In fact they are only a political pressure group that does not deal directly with homelessness but campaigns for tenants rights.
I think a lot of people are duped by Shelter into thinking that the money they are giving is being used to help homeless people.
Shelter's behaviour is not in keeping with the standards that you would expect of a charity, They are happy to use untrue statistics to demonise letting agents and landlords. e.g. http://media.shelter.org.uk/home/press_releases/almost_one_million_people_victim_of_landlord_scams,_shelter_research_reveals3
I am sure that there are plenty of charities that deserve donations more than Shelter and if tenant's want an organisation to represent them politically then they should fund it themselves instead of taking money that should be going to helpping the homeless.
Campaigning against Agents receiving fees from tenants is only one aspect of the other side of the charity which many only see as helping the homeless have warm food and a blanket. There is a black side to the Charity which involves advising a tenant in a well kept new build flat with ensuite and lift to all floors, to withold rent, to leave a property within the fixed term without any forwarding address and of course the DPA prevents them telling you where the tenant is. To make representation to the Council because there's no double glazing in a conservation area and then the tenant having absolutely lived in filth can still get Shelter's legals to support a defence against eviction (which again involved expenses for the Landlord) and persuade the judge that the deposit should not be retained to help with the cost of putting the property back to the condition it was when the tenants' moved in. Of course whilst all this inconvenience and expense for the landlord continued Shelter had also managed to secure a Council flat for the tenant. They are just two instances that I have been involved in. I decided two years ago never, ever to give any donations to Shelter. Their remit has changed from their early days. I don't understand why they rip into good private landlords when there is such a need for them because of the shortage of LA accommodation.
"....EAF says that its relationship with Shelter for next year is ‘under review’....."
And so it should. Support should be withdrawn immediatly until Shelter looks at things in the round and, from both sides.
Interesting that Shelter appears to bite the hand which fees it....