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KEYWORD "Complaints" - 101 RESULTS
Lettings deals arranged during real-life coaching session

Actual lettings and sales clients were contacted during a training event led by a renowned property industry coach. Fine & Country hosted...

25 July 2024

From: Breaking News

Lettings agency regulation demanded by PropTech leader

Regulation of lettings and estate agencies must be a priority for the government elected tomorrow, a PropTech entrepreneur demands. Sián Hemming-Metcalfe of...

04 July 2024

From: Breaking News

Shock rise in compensation paid by letting agents last year

The Property Ombudsman received a record number of enquiries with 57,635 people seeking support with their property and housing related issues...

10 June 2024

From: Breaking News

Agency network links with industry supplier for training courses

Lettings agency giant Belvoir has struck a partnership with a PropTech firm majoring in inventories. InventoryBase Academy has been appointed as Belvoir's...

20 May 2024

From: Breaking News

Guilty! - Fraudster letting agents duped landlords and tenants

Two London agents who traded fraudulently through their lettings business and scammed victims out of over £24,000 have been sentenced. After a...

13 May 2024

From: Breaking News

Half of Tenants 'get stuck' if letting agents fail to solve problems

Half of all private renters would not know where to turn to if a letting agent failed to address a problem...

30 April 2024

From: Breaking News

Propertymark guide helps tenants complain and challenge rent rises

A new guide from Propertymark explains the rights which private rental tenants have - and sets out how they can challenge...

23 April 2024

From: Breaking News

Complaints About Agents - huge rise in compensation

There’s been a large rise in complaints and a huge increase in compensation according to figures out today from the Property...

18 March 2024

From: Breaking News

Problem properties hit two thirds of renters, claim lettings group

Two thirds of private renters have experienced a problem with the quality or condition of their property in the past six...

26 January 2024

From: Breaking News

Labour’s backdoor bid to regulate lettings and estate agents at last

Labour is using a Bill currently going through Parliament as a backdoor method to introduce the regulation of lettings, estate and...

19 January 2024

From: Breaking News

Renters Reform Bill at risk if councils aren’t given more cash - MPs

Measures contained in the Renters Reform Bill will fail without sufficient resources to ensure they can be enforced. The warning comes from...

13 December 2023

From: Breaking News

Data Protection - agency advice from the Information Commissioner’s Office

The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued advice to agencies on how to comply with data protection law.  The UK data protection regulator...

06 December 2023

From: Breaking News

Trading Standards reveal details of new Material Information requirements

Parts B and C of the process to improve material information disclosure in property listings are published today within comprehensive new guidance...

30 November 2023

From: Breaking News

Gove tells agents to identify and remedy damp and mould issues

New directives issued by the government put the emphasis firmly on private landlords and their letting agents to take responsibility for...

11 September 2023

From: Breaking News

Watchdog to Probe Five Issues Involving Agents and Landlords

The Competitioin and Markets Authority is to probe five activities involving letting agents and landlords and their responsibilities to private tenants. Sarah...

25 August 2023

From: Breaking News

Beef up enforcement for private renting, demands pressure group

The Nationwide Foundation - a pressure group funded by the Nationwide - says more effective enforcement is required for the private...

15 August 2023

From: Breaking News

Not Good Enough! Property Ombudsman criticises private rental quality

New figures released this morning from The Property Ombudsman show that the overwhelming number of disputes in the past year involved...

03 August 2023

From: Breaking News

Airbnb “nightmare” as residents complain about short let parties

A planning committee meeting discussion on an application for 100 new apartments in Manchester turned into a forum for complaints about...

01 August 2023

From: Breaking News

Council “deluged” with complaints about private rental homes

Landlords of more than 5,000 homes must register for a license and ensure their tenants have good quality housing or face...

25 July 2023

From: Breaking News

Strict Airbnb controls still on the agenda says politician

The Scottish Government does not intend to abandon its licensing scheme for Airbnbs and other short term lets, nor to delay...

20 July 2023

From: Breaking News

Property company boss hit by big fine six years after offences

A property firm which admitted misleading tenants on their rights and threatening them to leave has been ordered to pay £8,000. Four...

12 July 2023

From: Breaking News

Property company boss “threatening tenants to leave”

A property company director who admitted misleading tenants on their rights and threatening them to leave has been ordered to pay...

10 July 2023

From: Breaking News

Governments slammed for rushing blindly into Airbnb regulation

A trade body has criticised the various UK governments for “rushing blindly” into poorly-constructed regulation of short lets. The angry words from...

12 June 2023

From: Breaking News

String of dodgy letting agents expelled by Ombudsman

Several lettings agents have been expelled from The Property Ombudsman scheme; they are amongst eight named as having been kicked out...

06 April 2023

From: Breaking News

Sean Hooker - Head of Redress for the Property Redress Scheme

Introduce yourself A: My name is Sean Hooker. I have worked for the HFIS group for sixteen years, originally helping set...

23 March 2023

From: 60 Second Interview

Big rise in complaints to Property Redress Scheme

There’s been a big rise in the number of complaints about agents lodged with the Property Redress Scheme, which says it’s...

09 March 2023

From: Breaking News

MPs' idea for Rental Sector Ombudsman slammed by letting agents

Propertymark has hit out at a proposal from a group of MPs that there should be a single Ombudsman covering the...

13 February 2023

From: Breaking News

Rogue agent jailed after ordering staff to make false claims

The head of a Martin & Co office in Wolverhampton has been jailed over fraudulent activity. A court heard that Bhavander Singh...

16 January 2023

From: Breaking News

Fake letting agencies created to avoid identifying landlord

A landlord has pleaded guilty to four offences which involved the creation of fake letting agencies in order to help him...

13 January 2023

From: Breaking News

Property Redress Scheme now largest lettings redress service

The Property Redress Service claims to be the largest lettings redress service now, with over 13,250 letting agency branches on board. In...

12 January 2023

From: Breaking News

Ex-agent jumps aboard mould-risk bandwagon

A former lettings agent who now helps tenants take legal action against landlords says 25 per cent of the complaints he...

29 December 2022

From: Breaking News

Media accuse agents of mis-selling deposit alternative schemes

The Observer newspaper has investigated the way letting agents apply so-called zero deposit schemes - and claims that in some cases...

05 December 2022

From: Breaking News

Asking rent cut after social media slams agency’s Zoopla listing

A news website is reporting that a landlord cut the asking rent of a property after social media criticism of its...

22 November 2022

From: Breaking News

Agencies with banking disputes have three months to act

Small and medium sized lettings agencies which have had running disputes with banks are being offered a lifeline - but must...

21 November 2022

From: Breaking News

Agent Alert - City Trading Standards team begins clampdown

A council’s Trading Standards team is warning letting agents of a new clampdown on compliance failures. Stoke-on-Trent Trading Standards says it’s received...

09 November 2022

From: Breaking News

Big rise in lettings enquiries to The Property Ombudsman

The Property Ombudsman has reported a big rise in enquiries over last year and a huge rise since the pre-Covid year,...

02 November 2022

From: Breaking News

More lettings reps on beefed up redress panel

One of the two official redress bodies, the Property Redress Scheme, has announced a beefed up advisory panel with a substantial...

25 October 2022

From: Breaking News

Call for more due diligence after rogue letting agent jailed

Trading Standards is calling for more due diligence checks to be made following the jailing of a rogue letting agent for...

31 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Jailed! Another 34 months for agent already guilty of assault

A former lettings agent has been jailed for almost three years after admitting conning landlords out of over £80,000. The sentence for...

30 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Guilty letting agent who stole deposits now awaits sentence

A letting agent who stole over £80,000 from landlords is awaiting sentence. Frank Smart - owner of Smart Residential Letting Agents in...

15 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Agencies have six months left to register banking complaints

Many agencies have long-standing and unresolved banking complaints, for example regarding client accounts: now it’s been declared they have only six...

12 August 2022

From: Breaking News

Beefed Up Property Details - industry bosses back call for Material Information

Senior figures in the agency industry have backed new guidance from the National Trading Standards Estate and Lettings Agent Team regarding...

13 July 2022

From: Breaking News

Noose tightens on unregulated city Airbnb and other short lets

One of Britain’s largest cities wants to regulate Airbnb and other short let platforms. The proposed scheme in Glasgow follows legal changes...

27 June 2022

From: Breaking News

Agents advised to check out new licensing scheme

Agents with landlord clients who let properties in Central West Bromwich are being reminded to check if they should apply for...

20 June 2022

From: Breaking News

High number of landlords claim agents charge too much

More than four in 10 landlords claim their letting agents charge too much - and one in six has been hit...

06 June 2022

From: Breaking News

Buy To Lets with poor EPCs falling out of favour fast - new study

A new survey gives an indication of how quickly properties with poor Energy performance Certificates are falling out of favour in...

24 May 2022

From: Breaking News

Virtual Viewings complaints rise to Property Redress Service

PRS, one of the two official redress services for the lettings and sales agency sectors, says it’s seen an increase in...

28 April 2022

From: Breaking News

Hefty fine for property company ignoring improvement notices

A property ownership and management company has been fined £20,000 for failing to carry out safety and fire safety improvement works...

28 April 2022

From: Breaking News

Private rental property conditions and enforcement slammed by MPs

Private rental property conditions and the enforcement of regulations by councils and government have all been in the firing line from...

13 April 2022

From: Breaking News

Tenancy Disputes - new insights into a common problem

A study by the Tenancy Deposit Service has found that garden maintenance remains one of the most common reasons behind deposit...

31 March 2022

From: Breaking News

Agent fails to secure renewal of landlord’s licence in controversial case

An agent’s plea to councillors to renew the HMO license for a landlord client fell on deaf ears in a controversial...

21 March 2022

From: Breaking News

2,000 complaints over Airbnb-style short lets in just one area

Westminster council wants central London to have the same powers as Paris and Amsterdam to stop anti-social behaviour caused by Airbnb...

07 February 2022

From: Breaking News

Reform tax, Beef up rogues database - Agents demand radical rental reforms

ARLA Propertymark has launched a radical programme of reform for the private rental sector - getting in before the government’s own...

15 December 2021

From: Breaking News

How can letting agents improve their reputation?

How can agents improve their position in society? A report has been published following a roundtable discussion between prominent agency figures...

14 December 2021

From: Breaking News

Agency given penalty notices for operating illegally

A letting agency has been issued with penalty notices worth £3,000 for operating illegally. Back in 2014 it became a legal requirement...

03 December 2021

From: Breaking News

Angry agent renews attack on landlords and councils

A lettings agent who also runs a tenant complaint insurance service has renewed his attack on landlords and local authorities. Ajay Jagota...

03 December 2021

From: Breaking News

Younger tenants claim “unforeseen” agency fees make them poorer

Many young Britons allegedly live beyond their means, blaming high rents and “unforseen” agency charges as contributory reasons.  A home insurance company...

23 November 2021

From: Breaking News

Lettings agent jailed after £182,000 fraud

A lettings agent has been jailed for three years for defrauding tenants and landlords out of more than £182,000.  Lee Clarke, 42,...

20 September 2021

From: Breaking News

Ombudsman complaints led by management, comms and record keeping

Lettings once again dominated the complaints received by The Property Ombudsman according to its latest annual report - out today but...

24 August 2021

From: Breaking News

New consultation aims to “root out rogue agents” says RICS

New rules out for consultation concerning block management aim to improve professionalism across the sector, root out rogue agents, and increase...

23 August 2021

From: Breaking News

Have Your Say: Ombudsman wants agents’ views on block management

The Property Ombudsman and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors are seeking views of agents, landlords and tenants on a new...

13 August 2021

From: Breaking News

Free to agents: Banking dispute service endorsed by Propertymark

Propertymark has given its support to a free and independent dispute resolution service, the Business Banking Resolution Service, which is being offered to...

05 August 2021

From: Breaking News

Agent accuses landlords of ‘not taking responsibilities seriously’

A controversial lettings agent who has set up a business to sell rental insurance has accused landlords of not taking their...

19 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Warning to agents to schedule regular compliance checks

There’s a warning from an industry trade body that some agents may have failed to take compliance obligations seriously enough.  Paul Offley,...

16 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Complaints about lettings agents are soaring, says redress firm

Complaints referred to the Property Redress Scheme against its members grew by more than a quarter during 2020. In its annual report...

13 July 2021

From: Breaking News

Agent insults Ombudsman with “indolent Chihuahua” slur

A lettings agent who wants tenants to take out policies to fund complaints against agencies and landlords has branded the social...

28 June 2021

From: Breaking News

Insurance dealer sets up service for tenants to win compensation

The man behind an early version of deposit replacement for the private rental sector has now set up a service encouraging...

21 June 2021

From: Breaking News

Rent Repayment Order threat to property company owner

A London council has taken a landlord company to court after complaints of poor housing conditions in five of its rented...

06 May 2021

From: Breaking News

Activists blast councils for failing to act over “unsafe rental properties”

Councils are failing to protect tenants in three out of four cases where they discover rental homes are unsafe, according to...

29 April 2021

From: Breaking News

Agents must be ultra-responsive to tenant complaints during pandemic

The managing director of Fixflo, Rajeev Nayyar, says the pandemic has changed the context in which agents should view tenants’ complaints. In...

28 April 2021

From: Breaking News

Agency that failed to pay £300 compensation kicked out of Ombudsman

A lettings agent in Slough, called Saville Park Ltd, has been excluded from The Property Ombudsman for failing to pay an outstanding award of £300.  TPO received a complaint from tenants...

15 April 2021

From: Breaking News

David Alexander is joint Chief Executive Officer of apropos

As we emerge out of the pandemic there is a growing need for agents to reflect on how the lettings business...

12 March 2021

From: 60 Second Interview

Fifth of city’s private rental homes have serious problems - claim

A council claims that as many as a fifth of all the private rental sector homes in its area have a...

07 January 2021

From: Breaking News

Agents Regulation chief says complaints about rental sector are common

The architect of the Regulation of Property Agents working group - which has called for agents to be trained and licensed...

10 December 2020

From: Breaking News

Overwhelming number of agents pay TPO compensation awards

An overwhelming 98 per cent of agents who are members of The Property Ombudsman scheme pay compensation when an investigation is...

01 December 2020

From: Breaking News

Activists gather outside city agency after licensing protest

Activists from the so-called renters’ union Acorn have held a protest outside the office of a lettings agency in Oxford. A photograph...

19 November 2020

From: Breaking News

£100,000 compensation to be paid by rogue lettings agents

Three lettings agents who kept tenants’ rent instead of passing it to the landlords have been ordered to pay almost £100,000...

30 October 2020

From: Breaking News

Licensing on its way after 92% of HMOs show problems

A major north of England local authority wants to introduce landlord licensing for HMOs where three or four tenants live, following analysis...

19 October 2020

From: Breaking News

London council wants new bureaucracy to manage private renting

A London council has launched a strategy it claims will protect private tenants and ensure they live in good quality and...

23 September 2020

From: Breaking News

Expelled! Agents thrown out by Ombudsman over award payments

Three agents have been expelled by The Property Ombudsman for failing to pay compensation awards.  In the case of Foremost Lettings Ltd...

26 August 2020

From: Breaking News

Blow for Airbnb and short lets in landmark appeal ruling

A council has won a planning appeal banning the use of a property for short lets - considered a landmark case...

21 August 2020

From: Breaking News

Blistering attack on ‘big name letting agent’ by anti-rental activist

The author of a book described as being about “insecure renters haemorrhaging cash” has used her newspaper column to make a...

19 August 2020

From: Breaking News

Airbnb pledges to identify professional landlords using platform

Airbnb is doing a U-turn with its global leader pledging to slash the number of professional landlords using the platform and...

10 August 2020

From: Breaking News

New rental review service launches…and promises positive comments

A new web platform is launching encouraging reviews of landlords - but it claims not to be another opportunity for tenants...

27 July 2020

From: Breaking News

Media spotlight on lockdown parties in Airbnb and other short-lets

The BBC has shone a spotlight on lockdown parties being held in contravention of social distancing rules at properties advertised on...

26 June 2020

From: Breaking News

Big surge in complaints about letting agents taken up by Ombudsman

There’s been a substantial 20 per cent rise in formal complaints about agents taken up by The Property Ombudsman.  The figures refer...

11 May 2020

From: Breaking News

Six lettings agencies expelled from TPO for not paying awards

The Property Ombudsman has announced the expulsion of eight agencies, all for contravening TPO codes of practice. Most of the expulsions were...

04 May 2020

From: Breaking News

Agents must have complete records to avoid Corona complaints - claim

A leading PropTech expert has urged lettings agents to improve their administration and paperwork if they want to avoid what could...

29 April 2020

From: Breaking News

Lettings agency apologises after rent letter misinterpreted

A lettings agency has given a full apology after a letter - not approved by the company - was sent out...

30 March 2020

From: Breaking News

Agents warned by Ombudsman: Don’t discriminate on DSS claimants

The Property Ombudsman is warning agents not to discriminate against tenants through a No DSS or any similar policy. Following the legal...

05 March 2020

From: Breaking News

Activists ‘intimidate female staff’ forcing agency branch to shut

The controversial Acorn group of anti-letting agent activists has been accused of intimidation of female staff during a protest outside and...

05 March 2020

From: Breaking News

Five agents kicked out of Ombudsman scheme after disputes

The Property Ombudsman has expelled five agencies, mostly for failures to honour awards: four of them are lettings operations and one...

21 February 2020

From: Breaking News

Fees Act confusion could trigger surge in complaints about agents

Confusion among renters over the complex Tenant Fees Act could trigger a surge in complaints about agents to redress schemes -...

12 February 2020

From: Breaking News

Airbnb clampdown on young renters of party houses - but not yet in UK

Airbnb is reported to have banned under-25s in Canada from booking whole properties in their local areas to prevent potentially-violent house...

07 February 2020

From: Breaking News

What are the benefits of traditional online auctions for estate agents?

Property auctions – online or otherwise – can be hugely helpful to sellers, buyers and estate agents. Online auctions, in particular, are...

06 February 2020

From: Sponsored Content

Concern over £1,000-plus licensing fee proposed by council

A leading trade body is voicing concern over yet another council private rental sector licensing scheme - with particular worry over...

29 January 2020

From: Breaking News

Shocking claim that one-in-50 London homes is a short let

New research claims that one in every 50 homes in the capital is let on a short-term platform like Airbnb or...

24 January 2020

From: Breaking News

Over 200 complaints of agents allegedly charging illegal fees

The Times claims there have been well over 200 complaints lodged with redress schemes, alleging that lettings agents tried to charge...

23 December 2019

From: Breaking News

Lettings agency boss jailed for £230,000 fraud scandal

A Southampton lettings agency owner has been jailed after defrauding landlords and tenants out of £230,000. Andrew Whitehead has been jailed for...

19 December 2019

From: Breaking News

Mandatory licensing, long tenancies, rent controls advocated by LibDems

The Liberal Democrats is the first of the major parties to release its party manifesto for the December 12 manifesto, and...

21 November 2019

From: Breaking News

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