THOUSANDS of students in Glasgow have been warned to be on their guard against rogue letting agents.

It's the start of Freshers Week and young people are hunting for accommodation across the city and the rest of the West of Scotland.

Top tips have been issued by the Council of Letting Agents to help new and returning students sign up to private accommodation rented by reputable agents.

There are key issues which set apart a rogue letting agent and a reputable one.

Good agents will be a member of the Council of Letting Agents or the Association of Residential Letting Agents or the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors.

And there should be no upfront fees other than a security deposit and students are told to clarify exactly what services the agent is providing.

Agents should also be made to show a standard lease to students to ensure they are happy with the terms before committing and some may offer contents insurance. But no agent can insist students purchase it.

The Council of Letting Agents also urges students to make sure agents are accredited with Landlord Accredition Scotland and suggest recommendations from friends who have had good experiences with some agents should not be ignored.

CLA convener Kathleen Gell said: "For too long students have been ripped off by rogue letting agents.

"It is critical that they are aware of their rights are and what level of service they should expect from their letting agent."

"It is the responsibility of the CLA and our members to eradicate rogue practice which threatens to undermine the whole of the Private Rented Sector in Scotland.

"We hope these simple tips will help students' spot rogue letting agents quickly and easily."

She added: "More information is available from our website at http://www.counciloflettingagents.com/ and if anyone has further questions we would urge them to get in touch and we will be delighted to help."