You can join for any of the disciplines listed below and in any combination; however, we would recommend that you cover your business for redress in all areas that you do business.

• Residential Sales
  This includes International Sales, (if applicable) and automatic registration under the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007 (CEARA).

• Lettings and Property Management
  As from June 2006, The Property Ombudsman extended its service to Lettings and Property Management Estate Agents.

• Commercial
  This applies to estate agency services, provided by a person or organisation in the United Kingdom for buying, selling and letting/renting of premises for commercial use and/or small business*, including shops, offices, business space, industrial and warehouses.

*The formal definition of a small business, as used by BERR, is a business with:

• Less than £2.8 million per annum turnover
• Balance sheet of less than £1.4 million
• Less than 50 employees

• International Sales
  Applies to that part of the UK transaction that is conducted under English law.

Under the CEARA 2007, it is now a legal requirement that all estate agents dealing in residential sales within the UK have to register with an approved redress scheme. If you do not wish to join The Property Ombudsman as a voluntary member, you can register with us for redress under CEARA 2007.

• A completed application form indicating the type of membership you are applying for
• A cheque for the fees (listed below)
• Either two professional references (from any of the following: accountant, solicitor, bank manager) or verification of identity by two of the following i.e. copy of your passport or driving licence and a copy of a company utility bill less than three months old
• Evidence of Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance (certificate of insurance, schedule or cover note)

TPOS Requirement: A minimum limit of indemnity cover of £100,000 with an excess of no more than £1,000. If the excess is more than this, then you are required to add The Property Ombudsman endorsement L1391. If you are part of a firm of solicitors covered by PI insurance approved by the Law Society then we will not require this endorsement to be added.

Fees for 2010
Please note that fees are per office

Cheques should be made payable to 'The Property Ombudsman Limited'

If your agency has more than one office or has associated firms or offices, it is a requirement that all such associated firms or offices take up membership. An 'associated' firm is any firm which carries on estate agency or lettings work (as defined by the Ombudsman's Terms of Reference) and fall within any of the following:

1. In the same corporate group as the firm; or
2. Where the firm owns any interest; or
3. Where the firm (or someone in the same corporate group as the firm) has granted or has been granted a franchise.

Please note that membership will not be accepted without a Franchisor Agreement.

To apply for membership please submit the following:

Franchisor Membership Requirements

• A completed application form with details of all franchised and owned offices
• A cheque for the fee (fees are per office)
• If not an NAEA or RICS member then either two professional references (from any of the following: accountant, solicitor, bank manager) or verification of identity by two of the following i.e. copy of your passport or driving licence and a copy of a company utility bill less than three months old
• A copy of your Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance, if not an NAEA or RICS member

Franchisee Membership Requirements
Each franchised office to provide the following:

• A completed application form with details of all offices owned by the franchisee
• A cheque for the fee (fees are per office)
• If not an NAEA or RICS member then either two professional references (from any of the following: accountant, solicitor, bank manager) or verification of identity by a copy of your passport or driving licence and a copy of a company utility bill less than three months old
• A copy of your Professional Indemnity (PI) insurance, if not an NAEA or RICS member. In some cases, the franchisor holds PI insurance which covers all franchisees then the franchisee will need to submit a copy of this if not already done so by the franchisor

The TPO require agents to hold PI cover with a minimum of £100,000 and with an excess of no more than £1,000. If your excess is more than £1,000, then you are required to add the TPO endorsement L1391. There is an exception to this if you are part of a firm of solicitors covered by PI insurance approved by the Law Society in which circumstances the endorsement is not necessary.

TPO Endorsement: Professional Indemnity Insurance