i assume this is private landlords?
agency fees here can be mad, regularly hear tales of say £100+ holding fee (non-refundable), £60+ for references (also non-refundable), £100+ move-in fee, £100 check-out fee at the end and 4-6 weeks return deposit plus first month's rent in advance.
you could easily be looking at needing £1200+ to move into a pretty standard place.
then there's often the fight to get your deposit back at the end and some agents will try to get you to sign a new contract (for another £100+) every 6 to 12 months rather than letting you go onto a rolling contract (a legal right).