UK competition watchdog raises concerns over housing market

The CMA says consumers and others in the industry have contacted it to raise concerns about five areas of private housing rental. Photograph: Brian Jackson/Alamy

A “significant minority” of landlords and letting agents may not be following consumer protection rules, according to the UK’s competition watchdog, which raised concerns including complaints about onerous guarantees, discrimination against certain types of tenants and fees charged to older people entering retirement housing.

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) laid out on Friday the focus of its work on the housing market, after announcing in February it would look into the private rental and housebuilding sectors.