Letting agent charging me renewal fee. Is this legal?

[Whatisthisfuckery]

I’ve just had my tenancy renewal for 3 years with a 12 month break Claus. The letting agent has said I have to pay £96. I thought charging tenants renewal fees was now illegal? Please can someone advise? I’m not paying if I don’t have to but I don’t want to go off half cocked.

Just to say, the contract I signed last May said that there would be a fee for subsequent renewals. Does this tie me into paying each time?

If you signed a contract before June 2019, and the clause was in there, then it is legal. So presuming you signed your last contract in April 2019 or 2017, then yes they can charge it now. Contracts after the June 2019 date can't have it in - so the contract you are signing now can't have the clause in.

Does that make sense?!

Aha, yes, thank you. I thought it might be something like that.

The renewal letter says that other than the term length all other aspects will be the same. I will need to keep my eye out to see what they try to sneak in I guess.

You can also go onto a rolling contract rather than renewing for how ever months. You don't pay for that.

When I was in this set up at my last rented home I just stopped paying it. The tenancy went on to a rolling monthly agreement and I ended up living there for 7 more years, only leaving because it was horrendously damp and had rotten window frames as well as a few other things that should have been done but weren't. I was paying £60 every 3 months ori

Sorry posted too soon! ...originally. The landlord was happy as it meant he didn't have to pay it either. An extortionate amount to pay for somebody to photocopy some paperwork.

Haha, it’s all done online now, not even any photocopying although I assume the software licence costs money. Still a massive piss take considering the amount of tenants and LLs they have though.

Just don't sign it. My Ds was asked for £50 too renew his and I told him to not renew, that way when they found somewhere else and they did 12 months later they could move with a months written notice.
If you are a good tenant and pay on time and don't call for this that and the other constantly they aren't going to get rid of you.

I just didn’t pay mine (by accident as I forgot) and they never chased it up; the landlord wasn’t going to evict me over it and the letting agent eventually sent me a letter saying I was on a rolling tenancy

The rent is going up by £25 per month but at least it wn’t rise again within the 3 year term. I’ve had to move three times in the last few years so I’m keen to get the contract signed. I’m in a position where it’s difficult to find housing so I welcome the security.

this is the way to get security, although you've still got that break clause - does that work both ways?

I think angellegna has it right, so this will be the last fee you pay for renewal - your new contract cannot have such a clause in it.