Letting agents have been given new advice about how to communicate their fees when advertising residential property for rent.

The Committee of Advertising Practice (Cap) has published new advice about how agents must market their fees on their websites and in adverts shown on property portals.

Cap says it has worked closely with other bodies, such as the Association of Residential Lettings Agents (Arla) and the Property Ombudsman, in drafting the new advice.

Private property landlords and letting agents have been informed of the new requirements in a letter sent by Cap, which has also said it will be keeping a close eye on residential property ads to ensure its guidance is complied with.

"We’ll be closely monitoring ads in all media from 1 November 2013 onwards and will consider appropriate follow-up action against non-compliant ads from this date," Cap said in a statement.

Veronica Carnegy, Head of Tenancy Services and Property Management for Strutt & Parker, explains their approach to these new transparency requirements: “In view of the ever-growing need to ensure that there can be no misrepresentation nor misunderstanding regarding the lettings process, Strutt & Parker pre-empted this ruling by drawing up “Tenant Terms” which both clarifies any associated costs and also explains the process in detail for any potential tenants.

“These are now given to a tenant at the point of viewing a property to ensure that they make an informed and calculated decision before placing an offer to rent through us. As an Agency, we offer a transparent business and aim to ensure that any tenancy proceeds as smoothly as possible from start to finish with all expectation being managed for every step of the way.”

Marketers are also able to check they are complying with the rules by visiting a new AdviceOnline resource published by the body that lays out how adverts must display any compulsory costs and charges relating to any residential property for rent.

The new requirements have been rolled out after a ruling published by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) in March this year found against a letting agent that had not provided adequate information about fees in its online adverts.

The ASA ruled that Your-move.co.uk Limited must make it clear in its adverts on occasions when mandatory fees, which are not calculable in advance, are not included in a quoted price.