The draft bill, which was first proposed in July’s Queen’s Speech following a three-month consultation period, saw more than 4,700 responses from both individual tenants and housing sector bodies.
And the responses were heavily in favour of the ban with more than nine out of 10 tenants backing it.
Keep reading the journalism that powers our mission
Register free to continue and learn more about the stories, campaigns and the support we provide, helping people facing poverty across the UK.
A further seven out of 10 responders also suggested that letting agent fees had stopped them from being able to move into a new property.
Communities Secretary Javid, who called for a Housing First approach to Britain’s housing market crisis at a special reception with Big Issue vendors in the summer, said: “This government is determined to make sure the housing market works for everyone. Tenants should no longer be hit by surprise fees they may struggle to afford and should only be required to pay their rent alongside a refundable deposit.
“We’re delivering on our promise to ban letting agent fees, alongside other measures to make renting fairer and increase protection for renters.”
Advertising helps fund Big Issue’s mission to end poverty
However, the news has not been met with acclaim from everyone.
The National Landlords’ Association (NLA) has questioned the need for a cap since the summer announcement of the bill but praised the government for extending the deposit cap from four to six weeks.
Chris Norris, head of policy at the NLA, said: “At the time the NLA argued that an arbitrary cap of four weeks’ rent would be damaging to certain groups of prospective tenants and could have the counter-productive effect of making it harder for some households to secure suitable accommodation in the sector.
“Since the plans were announced we have been lobbying the government and we met with the Minister of State for Housing and Planning, Alok Sharma MP, in September in order to press him to rethink his plans for a cap; taking into account the needs of those living and working in the private rented sector.
“The NLA is happy that the government has listened to the evidence we presented on behalf of our members. Whilst we remain disappointed that the government continues to believe a cap is necessary, extending it to six weeks’ rent will reduce those households and landlords disadvantaged by the policy significantly.”
Our 2020 Impact Report
The Big Issue has given more than £1 million support to Big Issue vendors struggling due to the lockdown restrictions. To mark the significant milestone, we have published an impact report, documenting the seismic shift the organisation has undergone in the past 12 months.
View Report 
