Landmark verdict over letting agency that posed as a club
(The Guardian Money News)

£42,273 fine marks a `major victory´ for all private tenantsA lettings agency that posed as a membership club to dodge tenancy laws has been fined more than £40,000 in the first prosecution of its kind in the UK.Lifestyle Club Ltd pressured tenants to sign a contract without inspecting the terms or the accommodation, charged them a non-refundable `joining` fee and `membership` fee worth a month´s rent instead of a deposit, and directed those who complained to a non-existent redress service. Continue reading...