Legal warning Renters Rights Act “isn’t biggest risk to agents”
Summary
The article argues that lettings businesses may be focusing too narrowly on the Renters Rights Act, while overlooking the compliance risk posed by the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. It highlights that the DMCCA gives the Competition and Markets Authority direct enforcement powers, including significant financial penalties, which may create broader exposure for operators than tenant-by-tenant disputes under rental reform.
Why it matters
Residential property surveyors involved in lettings, asset management or advisory work should be aware that consumer-protection compliance may now be a material risk area alongside tenancy law changes. The article underlines the need to consider how pricing, marketing and listing practices could attract regulatory scrutiny even where no tenant complaint is made.
Key points
- The article says attention on the Renters Rights Act may be overshadowing a larger compliance issue.
- The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 is presented as a key risk because of direct CMA enforcement.
- The CMA can impose penalties of up to 10% of global annual turnover without first going to court.
- Non-compliant pricing or listing practices may affect all properties on a platform and be visible to regulators.
- The warning is aimed at legal advisers and lettings operators to broaden their compliance focus.
This is an RPSA summary of a publicly available article. The full content remains with the original publisher.
