The Property Ombudsman issues revised Codes of Practice.

October 1, 2015

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme has today (1st October) issued amended and updated versions of all its Codes of Practice for UK and Scotland in order to support the introduction of new legislation that has come into force within the last 12 months.

Christopher Hamer, the Property Ombudsman, says: “The decision was taken to carry out a full review of the Codes to reflect continuing market developments and the obligations now placed on agents by various pieces of legislation that have been enacted, such as the Consumer Rights Act. Changes under the Deregulation Act which start today (1st October) have also been integrated into the new set of Codes, providing comprehensive guidance to our member agents on the new regime.”

The Ombudsman will apply the new Codes of Practice when reviewing consumer complaints about events that have occurred after 1st October to determine whether or not a TPO registered member has breached the high level of standards required.

Mr Hamer continues: “The first Code of Practice was enforced in 1990, albeit in a rather shorter form than today. During that 25 year period, the property industry has developed tremendously and continues to change today making it necessary to release new versions to ensure agents fully understand their responsibilities. As the market changes, we continue to provide as much up to date information as possible through our guidance documents and website to support both members and consumers.”

The review process involved trade associations, representatives from large and smaller agents in both sales and lettings and a representative from TPO’s independent Council. All TPO Codes of Practice have been revised including: Residential Estate Agents, Residential Letting Agents, Residential Estate Agents (Scotland), Residential Letting Agents (Scotland), Buying Agents, Property Buying Companies, Commercial and Membership Obligations.

Please visit www.tpos.co.uk/members/codes-guidance for all TPO Codes of Practice.

Christopher Walkey

Founder of Estate Agent Networking. Internationally invited speaker on how to build online target audiences using Social Media. Writes about UK property prices, housing, politics and affordable homes.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Housing Insight Report October 2025

The latest figures reveal a steadier, more confident property market, with committed buyers driving sales and rental arrears falling to their lowest level since 2022. In spite of slight dips in demand, rising stock levels and stabilising rents signal a sector gradually finding its balance. Residential sales Prospective buyer registrations dropped in October 2025 The…
Read More →
Breaking News

9 luxury property features to impress Christmas guests

9 of the fanciest home features to impress your Christmas guests – And how much they’ll set you back As the festive season approaches and we prepare to welcome guests into our homes, Enness Global has identified nine of the most extravagant and fancy home features that define true luxury at Christmas. But impressing the…
Read More →
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

No acceleration in rental EPC improvements despite policy push

Rightmove’s 2025 Greener Homes Report reveals: Energy efficiency of homes continues to steadily improve, but slowly: Rental sector stock still more energy efficient than resale stock Both markets have seen a 3% year-on-year jump in proportion of homes with at least an EPC rating of C (58% of homes for rent, 46% of homes for…
Read More →
Breaking News

London renters making it onto the ladder without a deposit

Developers helping London renters onto the property ladder without a deposit, when the Government won’t The latest insight from London’s largest lettings and sales estate agent brand, Foxtons, has revealed that despite the Government providing no new support in the recent Budget for first time buyers, a growing collaboration between developers and lenders is helping…
Read More →
Breaking News

Prime London Sees Post-Budget Surge in £2m+ Listings

The latest research from prime London property experts, Jefferies London, reveals that, just two weeks on from the Autumn Budget and its newly announced prime property surcharges, an estimated 444 homes priced at £2m or more have been listed for sale across the capital. These new listings account for around one in 10 (9%) of…
Read More →
Breaking News

2026 Will Test BTR’s Potential and Government’s Resolve

By Justine Edmonds, Head of Build to Rent / Leasing Strategies, LRG Throughout 2025 I have spent hours in meetings with and on discussion panels with institutional investors, developers and local authorities. And everything I’ve picked up on in the last year suggests that 2026 will be a crossroads for Build to Rent (BTR). The…
Read More →