One hundred complaints.

May 8, 2015

Since October last year it was  mandatory that Property Agents  be joined up to a consumer redress scheme, essentially  a scheme authorised by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) and National Trading Standards, a  role in which the scheme  would provide fair and reasonable resolutions to disputes between members of the public and property agents.

The Property Redress Scheme (PRS) one of three consumer redress schemes has now processed its 100th Complaint – six months since it became mandatory that all Letting Agents and Property Management Agents join a consumer redress scheme .

PRS points out that two areas that Agents should be consciously aware of is  – Documentation and Communication.

Clear and unambiguous documents, in particular those that relate to terms and conditions, charges and management agreements, are essential to ensure that the customer is fully protected. This also protects the Agent, defines the business relationship and manages customer expectations.

Communication is also essential and Agents should ensure that they do everything to keep the channels open even when the relationship is breaking down.  Not doing so inevitably leads to the situation deteriorating and by the time of scheme involvement, the consequences have moved far beyond the initial dissatisfaction.

Sean Hooker, Head of Redress for the PRS states on their website “It is still, in my view, the duty of the industry is to help police this legislation. There are a number of Agents out there who either through ignorance or wilful defiance have not signed up to a scheme. We are therefore working with local authorities to ensure the law is enforced as vigorously as possible and consumers remain protected.”

 

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Letting Agent Talk

Landlords and tenants advised to work together to get through extreme heatwaves

With some areas set to be hotter than Portugal this week, lettings and estate agents across the UK are issuing advice to protect properties ahead of extreme weather Prolonged periods of hot weather across the UK are placing additional pressure on homes, from overheating and poor ventilation to damage caused by extreme temperatures. Today, lettings…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

Nearly half of UK home listings fail to sell

A London estate agent has warned that thousands of homeowners across the UK are pricing themselves out of the market by setting asking prices that no longer reflect what buyers are willing to pay. The warning comes after new analysis by Zoopla, covering more than two million property listings between 2023 and 2026, found that…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

Lowest number of new build developments coming to market since 2017

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove reveals that the number of new build housing developments coming to market is at its lowest level since January 2017 The figures are despite the government’s target to build 1.5 million homes over the course of this parliament Higher mortgage rates continue to set a challenging…
Read More →
Estate Agent Talk

What Every Estate Agent Should Tell Clients Before Moving Day

For most estate agents, the job is done once contracts are exchanged, completion takes place, and the keys are handed over. For your client, however, that’s when one of the biggest challenges begins. Moving day has the power to turn months of excitement into an incredibly stressful experience, or a smooth finish to what has…
Read More →
Breaking News

Breaking Property News 9/7/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   PropTech is evolving but WhatsApp is still winning the Property transaction battle A home-moving process that a decade of PropTech failed to fix   Thought leadership by Olivier Jauniaux Founder of NestLink There are a particular series of messages, somewhere in every property chain, that decides whether…
Read More →
Breaking News

Heatwaves haven’t diminished love for south-facing gardens

The latest research from Yopa reveals that despite 81% of people saying they have been avoiding their garden during the recent heatwaves, south-facing gardens continue to be the preferred orientation of choice for UK homeowners, attracting house price premiums of over £20,000 on average. However, the insight from Yopa also suggests that should heatwaves become…
Read More →