Information for consumers

• Letting agency services – UK and International
• Guaranteed rent agreements
• Property guardians
• Relocation services
• Short-term and holiday lets
• Commercial lets

• The signup process and information you were given about the contract or tenancy
• Referencing and move-in arrangements
• Arranging an inventory and check-in
• Communication about problems during the tenancy, such as repairs and maintenance
• Collecting rent and dealing with non-payment
• Issues with the end of the tenancy e.g. check-out and deposit-related communications
• How the business has dealt with your complaint

• Legal issues such as breach of contract or negligence
• Actions or decisions of a landlord or another person separate to the lettings business
• Deciding if rent is payable, or fair and reasonable
• Ending a tenancy
• Financial loss which is not proven or has not been caused by the business
• Social housing (see ‘Social housing’ section below)
• Security deposit disputes

• How to rent in England (gov.uk)
• Renting a property in Scotland (mygov.scot)
• Information for tenants in Wales (Rent Smart Wales)
• Renting a home privately in Northern Ireland (ni.direct)
• Tenant Fees Act (England)
• Association of Relocation Professionals: Rules of Conduct and Code of Practice (ARP)
• Case study library
• Codes of Practice
• National Trading Standards’ agent checker tool lists the redress scheme available to consumers of each business and any Client Money Protection registration.

• Help with condensation, damp and mould
• Housing advice (Shelter)
• Housing help (Citizens Advice)
• Tenancy deposit protection (gov.uk)
• Tenancy related issues (My Housing Issue Gateway)

• How to let a property in England (gov.uk)
• Being a private landlord in Scotland (mygov.scot)
• Guidance for landlords in Wales (gov.wales)
• Letting your property in Northern Ireland (ni.direct)
• Help with condensation, damp and mould
• Tenant Fees Act (England)

• Housing Ombudsman for complaints by tenants and leaseholders of social landlords in England (housing associations, councils and local authorities).
• The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman is the final stage for complaints about housing associations in Scotland.
• Make a complaint about social housing in Wales (gov.wales)
• The Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman investigates unresolved complaints about public bodies in Northern Ireland.
• For housing complaints within the Channel Islands, residents should contact their local government or housing authority.

• Estate agency services – UK and International
• Property auctions – traditional and online
• Buying agent services
• Property sourcing/Deal packaging
• Property buying services
• Holiday home and park home sales
• Relocation services
• Commercial property sales

• The signup process and information you were given about the contract
• Advice given about the asking price
• How a property has been advertised
• Viewing arrangements and feedback
• How offers have been handled
• Communication throughout the sale process
• How the business has dealt with your complaint

• Legal issues such as breach of contract or negligence
• Changing contract terms, or ending a contract
• Making a sale go through
• Financial loss which is not proven or has not been caused by the business
• Some new-build properties (see ‘More information’ links below)

• Conditional Selling Guide
• GOV.UK guide to buying or selling your home
• How to buy a home in England and Wales (gov.uk)
• How to buy a home in Scotland (mygov.scot)
• How to buy a home in Northern Ireland (nidirect)
• How to sell a home in England and Wales (gov. uk)
• How to sell a home in Scotland (mygov.scot)
• How to sell a home in Northern Ireland (nidirect)
• Support for Mortgage Interest (gov.uk)
• Professional Standards for Auctioneers and Common Auction Conditions (RICS)
• NAVA Info and Guides to auctioneers and valuers (Propertymark)
• Buying a home at auction (Zoopla)
• Association of Relocation Professionals: Rules of Conduct and Code of Practice (ARP)
• National Association of Property Sourcing Agents (NAPSA) Code of Practice
• Association of Relocation Professionals (ARP)
• The New Homes Ombudsman resolves issues with new homes in England, which the Registered Developer has been unable or unwilling to fix.
• The New Homes Quality Code ensures better protection for buyers of new homes in the UK.
• How to buy overseas property safely and country-specific guides (AIPP) (Aipo.org)
• Alliance of International Property Owners (AIPO) Consumer Guides (Aipo.org)
• Codes of Practice
• Case study library

• Leasehold management
• Freehold estate management
• Open space management
• Retirement housing management

• Requests for information from the agent, whether things you have a right to know or simply requests that are reasonable
• Management services (where you are the agent’s client)
• Communication about repairs and maintenance
• The way an agent has chased you for late payments
• How the business has dealt with your complaint

• Actions or decisions that the building owner needs to make
• Deciding if service charges are payable, or fair and reasonable
• Removing your managing agent
• Arranging for repairs to be done

• GOV.UK guide to leasehold in England
• Block and Estate Management dispute guide
• GOV.UK building safety leaseholder protections
• LEASE pre-purchase guidance
• Service Charge Residential Management Code (RICS, 3rd edition, 2016)
• Leasehold Advisory Service
• First Tier Tribunal (FTT)
• Leasehold Valuation Tribunals – Wales (gov.wales)
• The Property Institute (TPI)
• Flat Management Companies
• Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS): Service charges in commercial property
• Case study library

• Associated Retirement Community Operators (ARCO)
• Association of Retirement Housing Managers (ARHM)

What services does this include?

• Local authority searches
• Planning and development (such as new developments or transport links)
• Environmental searches (such as flooding or contaminated land)
• Drainage and water searches
• Chancel liability

What types of complaints can we usually help with?

• Whether the search provider has used legitimate sources of information
• Whether the search results and how they were reached have been clearly explained
• Whether further investigation has been recommended when it is needed
• How the business has dealt with your complaint

What can’t we help with?

• Legal issues such as breach of contract or negligence
• Where your problem is something that could not have been found out through the search
• Where the search provider is not responsible for the information being wrong
• Where your solicitor has not explained the results to you
• Financial loss which is not proven or has not been caused by the business

More information

• Search for land and property information (gov.uk)
• Conveyancing Information Executive
• Council of Property Search Organisations
• Drainage and Water Search Network

What services does this include?

• Property condition surveys
• Valuations
• Party wall
• Boundary survey

What types of complaints can we usually help with?

• Defects have been missed or not explained
• The quality of advice and recommendations
• Delays
• Communication
• How the business has dealt with your complaint

What can’t we help with?

• Legal issues such as breach of contract or negligence
• Producing a new valuation or saying if the valuation was correct
• The legal aspects of the party wall process
• Settling boundary disputes
• Expert Witness Reports
• Financial loss which is not proven or has not been caused by the business

More information

• Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
• Residential Property Surveyors Association (RPSA)

What services does this include?

Building warranties that include customer service standards and redress via The Property Ombudsman

What types of complaints can we usually help with?

• The sign-up process and information you were given about the contract
• How a property has been advertised
• Issues with the specification and what was agreed with the builder
• Completion and after sales service
• Communication, for example in relation to snagging issues
• How the business has dealt with your complaint

What can’t we help with?

• Legal issues such as breach of contract or negligence
• Changing contract terms, or ending a contract
• Making a sale go through
• Deciding remedies for snagging issues
• Financial loss which is not proven or has not been caused by the business

More information

We have Service Level Agreements with the following providers:

• Advantage Home Construction Institute
• Build Warranty
• Compariqo 

• Crisis is a charity that offers guidance on how to help someone facing homelessness
• Generation Rent campaigns for affordable, safe, and secure rented housing.
• HomeOwners Alliance provides advice and services for homeowners, buyers and sellers.
• Justice for Tenants provides free advice and Rent Repayment Order representation for tenants.
• Landlord Action specialises in eviction and housing law advice for landlords.
• Leasehold Advisory Service provides advice for residential leaseholders and park home residents.
• Leasehold Knowledge Partnership provides advice for leaseholders.
• National Residential Landlords Association provides resources for landlords.
• Scottish Association of Landlords
• Shelter provides advice and support with housing and homelessness.

• Legal aid (gov.uk)
• Law Centres Network – free advice for eligible residents in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Scottish Association of Law Centres
• Legal Aid Jersey
• Guernsey Legal Aid Service
• Law Society of Scotland is the professional body and regulator for Scotland’s solicitors.
• Law Society of Northern Ireland is the professional body and regulator for Northern Ireland’s solicitors.
• Legal Ombudsman investigates complaints against regulated legal service providers.
• Scottish Legal Complaints Commission provides a single gateway for complaints against legal practitioners in Scotland.
• Solicitors Regulation Authority regulates solicitors and law firms in England and Wales.

• Action Fraud is the UK’s reporting centre for fraud and cybercrime.
• Advertising Standards Authority enforces the Advertising Codes across all UK media.
• Citizens Advice is a charity specialising in information and advice to assist with housing and other problems.
• Consumer Council is the statutory consumer body for Northern Ireland.
• Consumer Friend provides consumer rights information.
• Chartered Trading Standards Institute promotes fair business practices, tackles rogue traders and protects UK consumers.
• Equality Advisory and Support Service advises and assists individuals on equality and human rights in England, Scotland and Wales.
• Financial Conduct Authority regulates financial service businesses and markets in the UK.
• Financial Ombudsman Service resolves complaints between financial businesses and their customers.
• Furniture and Home Improvements Ombudsman resolves disputes and raises standards in those sectors.
• HM Revenue and Customs is the UK’s tax, payments and customs authority.
• Information Commissioner’s Office upholds information rights, promotes openness by public bodies and data privacy for individuals.
• Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman makes decisions on complaints about councils or adult care providers in England.
• National Trading Standards’ Agent Checker lists the redress scheme available to consumers of each business.
• Ombudsman Association: A Guide to Ombudsman Offices
• Report a business to Trading Standards (England and Wales), Advice.scot (Scotland) or Consumerline (Northern Ireland)
• Scottish Public Services Ombudsman investigates complaints about public service organisations in Scotland.

• Age UK supports older people across the UK.
• Mencap provides help and advice about learning disabilities.
• Mind provides support for people with mental health problems.
• NHS urgent mental health helplines
• Refuge provides help for women and children experiencing domestic violence.
• Samaritans provides support for people struggling to cope and in times of crisis.
• Scope provides advice and support for disabled people.
• Support Line offers confidential emotional support to UK residents.
• Victim Support provides confidential support for people affected by crime.

• Association of Independent Inventory Clerks promotes the highest standards in property inventory.
• Association for Relocation Professionals is the professional body for experts in UK relocation with its own Rules of Conduct and Code of Practice.
• British Association of Removers promotes professional excellence in removals.
• Council for Licensed Conveyancers delivers effective regulation of specialist conveyancing.
• Consumer Code for Home Builders is an industry-led scheme which gives protection and rights to buyers of new homes.
• Consumer Code for New Homes is a mandatory Code for members to promote best practice by registered developers.
• Housing Ombudsman Service resolves disputes involving tenants and leaseholders of social landlords.
• National Code Assured Accommodation has developed standards within the sector of privately managed student accommodation.
• National House Building Council is the UK’s leading independent new home warranty and insurance provider.
• New Homes Ombudsman investigates and resolves complaints about registered developers of new homes.
• Propertymark is the leading membership body for property agents.
• Property Redress is the other redress provider for private property agents.
• Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors sets standards in development and management of land, real estate, construction and infrastructure.
• Safeagents is an accreditation scheme for lettings and management agents operating in the Private Rented Sector.
• The Property Institute is a professional body for residential property managers.
• UK Association of Letting Agents is a membership body for letting agents.