Zoopla Property Group has just presented a cheque for over £30,000 to Shelter, the charity which has been campaigning against letting agents’ fees.
The amount was raised by Zoopla and its staff throughout the year, including regular generous payroll giving by many of the company’s employees.
A team of 16 Zoopla staff also raised money by taking part in Shelter’s Vertical Rush, climbing the 920 stairs of Tower 42 in the City.
The hosting of the first annual Zoopla Charity Classic golf tournament, which attracted a number of agents to take part, also raised funds for Shelter.
However, Shelter has had a controversial year as far as agents are concerned. As a result of campaigning against letting agent fees in Scotland, the law has been tightened to make charging of all tenant fees illegal and a campaign is under way to encourage thousands of tenants who handed over money in the past to reclaim their fees.
This is likely to be the final straw for some Scottish agents, who will be forced out of business.
In England, meanwhile, Shelter is also campaigning against letting agent fees.
We asked Zoopla if it had placed any restrictions on its generous gift to Shelter.
A spokesman said: “Shelter are a respected and well-regarded national charity who do great work to fight homelessness and we are proud to have raised such a significant sum for them. You will also no doubt be aware that they are also one of the designated charities being supported by the Estate Agent Foundation this year.
"We have seen no evidence or reason to believe that Shelter are anti-letting agent. Our understanding is that their campaign was against unscrupulous practices by a limited number of rogue letting agents. Like Shelter, we support the goals of ensuring that letting agents run professional businesses with transparent fees, not charging unreasonable fees to either landlords or tenants.”
Meanwhile, Zoopla has announced a new partnership with The Prince’s Trust and pledged a minimum of £25,000 in 2013 to help improve the lives of young people seeking opportunity and work across Britain.
Zoopla has also already committed a minimum of £50,000 next year to a number of West Midlands charities including The Albion Foundation.
Alex Chesterman, CEO of Zoopla Property Group, said: “We take our corporate responsibility seriously and our employees have been very enthusiastic about getting involved in our various fundraising activities.
“Charities are increasingly dependent on donations from businesses like ours as government funding is being cut dramatically. We’re delighted to have raised more than we set out to for Shelter in 2012 and are looking forward to working in partnership with The Prince’s Trust to raise as much as we can next year.”
Pictured are Alex Chesterman and Dora Bass from Shelter with the cheque
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Comments
"Our understanding is that their campaign was against unscrupulous practices by a limited number of rogue letting agents"
Wrong Shelter reported that 90% of letting agents in Scotland charged referencing fees.
These 90% of letting agents may also be Zoopla's customers and are unlikely to take kindly to being labeled as rogues by Zoopla.
Zoopla have taken fees from letting agents and given them to Shelter who will use then use them to launch further unfair attacks on letting agents.
Shelter have already caused chaos in the social housing sector and are now trying to cause chaos in the private rental sector.
Shelter are more of a pressure group than a charity and raise money from people who believe they are helping the homeless however I believe most of the money raised will be used to pay the salaries of their middle class left wing staff.
The interpretation of the Proceeds of Crime Act are for the proper authorities and the fact that many scottish agents face financial recovery seems to show they have made their decision. I don't need to know the law in Scotland, scottish agents do.
Look, I understand what you and @commonsense are saying and of course I agree with the sentiment but the law says otherwise. Our Industry isn't nascent, ignorance is no defence and mitigating circumstances are always after the fact. Unfortunately only the courts can classify the severity of the breach and the punishment thereof...
Like everyone else, my opinion on this is irrelevant as judgement has been passed but just as Shelter mounted a campaign, hopefully there is redress for agents. As I stated earlier, Shelter don't make the law. They vigorously sought the 'clarification' that maybe agents should have, and here we are today. Even the link posted by DC states - 'The rush for compensation, triggered by a recent SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT "clarification" of an existing law...'
Shelter are pro-tenant so it's natural they would take such action but seen objectively, it doesn't make them anti-letting agent.
I think you will find that Zoopla made this commitment in good faith last year, long before any Shelter controvesy. And with good intent on raising money for a good cause. Clearly they fulilled their commitment but Shelter went controversial pon them. And it seems that Zoopla has corrected this by deciding not to work with Shelter n 2013 and instead chosing to support the Prince's Trust which does great work. So well done to Zoopla for the good intentions and deciding not to renew commitment to Shelter.
'Commonsense' is talking commonsense.
'Firm grip' needs to get a grip - obviously hasn't a clue about the law. The 'Proceeds of Crime Act' he/she mentions allows the enforcement authorities to track down and recover the profits of crime from individuals deemed to have benefited from a criminal lifestyle.
I don't think Agents charging tenants for a credit check quite fall in to that category
Just to be clear for anyone not aware of Shelter's position - it is spelt out very clearly in this piece of hyperbole in the Express.
LETTING AGENTS’ SCAM MAY HAND SCOTTISH TENANTS £125M CASHBACK
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/361924/Letting-agents-scam-may-hand-Scottish-tenants-125m-cashback
@ getagrip firmgrasp whatever
well, now that you've brought Rolf Harris into it you've realy overstepped the mark this time.
but serioulsy...you still seem to missing the point. many agents charging reasonable fees to tenants did so believing they were not 'premiums' or acting illegally. the fact that the law required clarification suggests it was opaque to many so whats the use in criminalising a business sector in these circumstances. it will serve no purpose unless you think putting dozens of SMEs out of business and sending 1000s of tenants into the direct landlord market is a good result. do you really think that sector does a better job than agents? and when rents rise next year in scotland, will you feel you have helped those you seek to protect?
'Shelter apparently ignored the Scottish Government's own steering committee's view that reaonable fees would be, well, reasonable' - Shelter don't make the law in Scotland and this particular one has been in existence since 1984.
'there is no excuse for the PPI incitement...that's just punitive beyond belief. you think that's fair on Scottish Agents? tell us why then' - Proceeds of Crime Act, if agents broke the law then they cannot profit from it.
broad brushes paint ugly pictures.. - Lets leave Rolf Harris out of this!
'this could have been handled differently to achieve the aim of getting rid of the P*ss takers without threatening the majority' - I hear you but considering this boiled down to judiciary, perhaps you can tell us how then?
It's a shame that many of those calling for letting agents to be transparent aren't transparent themselves..... Names like Zoopla and Allagents spring immediately to mind
@get a grip
maybe take your own advice? Shelter apparently ignored the Scottish Government's own steering committee's view that reaonable fees would be, well, reasonable.
and there is no excuse for the PPI incitement...that's just punitive beyond belief. you think that's fair on Scottish Agents? tell us why then.
broad brushes paint ugly pictures...this could have been handled differently to achieve the aim of getting rid of the P*ss takers without threatening the majority.
Shelter campaigned that Scottish agents abide by the law and now they want a similar law introduced here, no tenant fees. We've debated this area in depth and even IO supports it. Shelter also want fair and transparent letting agent fees and I see no harm in that, neither does Zoopla.
Lets not sensationalise Shelter as the big bad wolf trying to blow our house down after all, we work in an unregulated Industry founded on client money so expect some scrutiny. Most similar Industries would require a CRB check so the very least we can offer is transparency and integrity.
Zoopla is reliant on agency business and recently showed support of this by banning non agents from the site. Despite this, they are not about to bend to will of the disgruntled without checking the facts first. Shelter are anti-letting agent practices, not anti-letting agent.
Shelter aren't seeking our demise rather that we clean up our act and lets be honest, like criminals in a jail house shower we have deliberately refrained from reaching for the soap....
Our subscription will be cancelled, I can't believe their naivety.
Well i have just cancelled my Zoopla subscription. They are biting the hand that feeds them
Thanks a lot Zoopla. We've got you on one side, pushing up our costs, and shelter on the other, trying to reduce our fee income. We used to like you...
no amount of smooth talking will convince agents that shelter are not anti letting agent
the attempt to whip up a PPI type situation on tenant fees is highly PUNITIVE. they should be MORE than happy that the law was 'clarified' in scotland that agents cannot charge a reasonable fee...no, that had to be classed a 'premium'' too.
it's also very stupid. very few letting agents have the funds to pay pack should this PPI environment transpire which = more dispruption to landlords and tenants.
business involves a degree of PRAGMATISM...something shealter need to learn fast.
This is arguably the damaging PR stunt zoopla has and will ever do.
Zoopla have just experienced the 'ratner affect'
They have effectively undone all of their hard work.
I am sure their share holders will have something to say about this
zoopla are out of touch with their customers. Letting agents are now their bread and butter and they are finding shelter so they can keep their campaigns going.
I agree with the first comment. It's time to pull out.
At least rightmove recognise who their customers are from
My thoughts on this are well documented and I was about to advise again start shifting the fees balance more onto Landlords.
Then realised Zoopla supports Shelter stopping all fee charging, when Shelter's own agenda only includes tenants (as they couldn't care less about landlords).
Bizarre, totally convoluted and not joined up thinking. Pity this as RM obviously have nothing but disdain and contempt for their agent clients now it seems Zoopla are in the same boat.
I'm impressed the two Shelter reps managed not to laugh for the photo, though Dora does have a slight smirk. You can only imagine what they are thinking, other than Christmas coming early!!
This is an extremely poor show from Zoopla and the comments from them that they have saw " no evidence or reason to believe that Shelter are anti letting agent" are naive, ill considered and poorly informed.
The " campaign" in Scotland was to rule "any" fees whatsoever as "illegal" and was nothing to do with a proper cause of dealing with rogue or unscrupulous agents
So it's looks like Zoopla have decided to financially contribute to an organisation who have a stated aim to rule any letting fees illegal and in effect put all of Zooplas letting agent customers out of business!
If we don't make any fees then surely it doesn't take a genius to work out we won't be able to pay any portal charges?
Poor show indeed
I won't be using zoopla next year after this publicity stunt!
Zoopla wanting agents to be transparent about fees yet they don't publish their own fees yet try and "rip off" unsuspecting or gullible agents.
I urge EVERY other letting agent out there to stamp with your feet and boycott zoopla .
If we do NOTHING about this then we are effectively putting the nails in our own coffins