Ukrainians ask the government to regulate realtors: petition collects 25 thousand signatures
16 September 05:21
Ukrainians are calling on the government to regulate the activities of realtors. The corresponding petition has gained the necessary 25 thousand votes and now has to be considered by the government, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports
Why the problem arose
The petition states that the activities of realtors in Ukraine are currently not regulated in any way. This leads to massive abuses: thousands of people work in the market without official status, which allows them to evade taxes and leaves consumers without proper protection.
The shadow housing rental and sale market is estimated at hundreds of millions of hryvnias annually.
Due to the absence of legal requirements, realtors are not required to register their activities, enter into formal contracts, or be liable to their clients.
The problem of excessive commissions is also emphasized: Ukrainians are often forced to pay 50-100% of the rental price or 2-5% when buying a home, even in cases where they found the property on their own, without the services of a realtor.
What is proposed to change
The authors of the petition call on the government to initiate the preparation of a draft law or regulations that will provide for
- mandatory registration of realtors as individual entrepreneurs or legal entities;
- establishing qualification requirements and certification for professional activities;
- mandatory conclusion of contracts or written confirmations of cooperation with clients;
- prohibition of charging commissions without a client’s request;
- administrative liability for violation of these rules.
The petition also proposes to create an interagency working group with representatives of the government, specialized associations, and NGOs to develop an optimal model for market regulation.
What results are expected
According to the initiators of the petition, the adoption of legislative changes will help
- protect the rights of citizens to transparent and fair terms of renting and buying housing;
- reduce the influence of the “shadow” market and increase tax revenues;
- create fair competition rules for professional realtors.
Thus, the issue of regulating the activities of realtors is now reaching the state level and may become a step towards the civilized development of the real estate market in Ukraine.
