NALS repeats call for TDS to come clean on fees

The National Approved Letting Scheme has demanded that The Dispute Service explain its latest subscription rates to NALS agents.

The call follows negotiations between TDS (which runs the Tenancy Deposit Scheme), ARLA, NAEA and RICS.

NALS was not part of those negotiations, and yesterday operations director Isobel Thomson said: “We had negotiated a flat rate of £18 per tenancy, but now we do not know if any of our members are going to have revised invoices.

“Nor do we know why there is a differential in charges between NALS agents and agents belonging to the professional bodies.”

Thomson added: “We would like a level playing field.”

The flat rate charge for NFoPP and RICS agents is £15, meaning that NALS agents pay £3 more. Yet, she said, NALS firms accounted for under 15% of disputes.

Thomson claimed that NFoPP and RICS were subsidising TDS, so that their members could benefit from lower rates. However, she would not be drawn further and a TDS spokesman would not comment.

He did, however, say that NALS agents would still be paying a flat rate of £18, although some ‘heavy users’ of the disputes arbitration service would be getting revised invoices.

Meanwhile, Eddie Hooker, chief executive of mydeposits, the rival scheme to TDS, said that little had changed as a result of this week’s negotiations between NFoPP, RICS and TDS.

He said: “This apparent U-turn on subscription prices appears to change nothing for most letting agents.

“In fact, TDS admit that for 90% of firms, current invoices will not change. The majority of agents will not see any benefit from this climb-down, which still leaves them out of pocket. Agents may also have concerns about the pricing level TDS will set for the second instalment due in July.”

He added: “Mydeposits can reassure letting agents it continues to offer competitive, robust pricing, while providing external, independent adjudication. This won’t be changing.”