In light of the Government’s recent pledge to ban letting fees and cap security deposits, questions are being asked about what this will really mean for Renters, Landlords and Estate Agents.

While these seem like steps in the right direction, there are concerns that some Agents will shift costs onto Landlords. Some of whom may in turn feel the need to pass these increases onto their Renters and offset the perceived reduction in security from lower cash deposits. Meaning, (guess what?!) higher rents.

In order to make renting affordable and fair for everyone, Agents and Landlords must embrace digital transformation to streamline processes and reduce costs without compromising security.

Working hand-in-hand with startups can do just this. By developing smart, quick and robust tools and services startups can help make the rental process a lot less painful for all parties - such as fast-forwarding referencing and replacing the cumbersome traditional cash lump sum deposit process with a simple insurance product for 10% of the outlay.

This is exactly what Canopy does. Our RentPassport™ and DepositFree™ cover can significantly streamline the Renter on-boarding process, enhance operational efficiency, improve deal flow, reduce risk while also reducing the time and money spent on handling cash deposits.  

Embracing new technology, especially mobile, has allowed many industries (including retail, banking, insurance and travel) to offer customers tailored services. Innovative, agile startups can help agents adapt - as startups in other sectors, such a banking and insurance, are helping incumbent players adapt through collaboration. Canopy is already collaborating with the with agents and landlords to help make renting better for everyone.