Membership Information

1. Professional Indemnity (PI) Insurance

We will require a copy of your PI insurance schedule (normally 1-2 pages). Please ensure the limit of indemnity is no less than £100,000 and the excess is no more than £1000.

If your excess is more than £1,000 please ask your insurer to add TPO endorsement L1391 to your policy. If you are part of a firm of solicitors covered by PI insurance approved by the Law Society the endorsement is not necessary.

We require the insured name on the policy to match your name as listed on companies house (where applicable).

Please Note: Professional Indemnity insurance is not the same as Employers Liability or Public Liability insurance.

2. What is Client Money Protection (CMP) insurance?

This is only relevant to agents who deal in residential lettings. CMP insurance reimburses tenants or landlords where their rental monies or deposits have been misappropriated by the letting agent.

2.1. Where can I obtain quotes for CMP?

Quotes for CMP can be obtained directly from CMP schemes approved by the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government. More information can be found here.

2.2. How can consumers make a Client Money Protection (CMP) claim?

You must display your CMP membership on your website and in your literature which will allow consumers to contact the CMP scheme directly. 

3. Consumer Feedback

Consumers can provide feedback about all our members via 'Referenceline', you can do this by going to either of the following websites, www.tradingstandards.uk or www.referenceline.com  and finding the branch in question and leaving a review. Any feedback left will be visible on all websites and will be monitored by TPO.

4. Compliance Committee (CC)

The CC was established by the TPO Board to deal with the small number of members who breach the relevant Codes of Practice and/or fail to meet their obligations as TPO members in other ways. Read more 

5. Government approval

TPO has been approved by the Department of Communities and Local Government and National Trading Standards Estate Agency Team to provide the mandatory redress scheme for estate agents, letting and residential leasehold (block) management agents.

The Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007 came into force on 1 October 2008, requiring all estate agents (UK only) to register with an approved redress scheme. 

The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 came into force on 1 October 2014, requiring all letting agent and property managers (England only) to register with an approved redress scheme.

For definition of letting agent and property managers click here.

6. Audit Questionnaire

Member agents are chosen using a random selection process and, if selected, are sent notification from TPO of their inclusion.

We have tried to keep the audit as simple as possible, but we will require members to submit evidence showing compliance to the Codes of Practice. Although it is mandatory for members to take part if they are selected, we are aware that there are exceptions, so if you have any queries regarding the audit at any time you can contact the Compliance Team on 01722 335458 opt 3.

7. Tenancy Deposit Protection Scheme

By law any deposit taken in relation to most tenancies must be protected via a government approved deposit protection scheme. The Tenancy Agreement should contain the relevant prescribed information about the deposit and its protection; you should advise both tenants and landlords what arrangements have been made to protect the deposit. It may be that the landlord is arranging protection, depending on the services the landlord has instructed you to provide.

7.1. England and Wales

This applies to deposits taken under assured shorthold tenancies.

7.2. Scotland

This applies to deposits taken under short assured tenancies.

7.3. Northern Ireland

8. Chartered Trading Standards Institute

The Property Ombudsman's Codes of Practice for Residential Estate Agents and Residential Letting Agents have been approved by the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI).

TSI operate the Consumer Codes Approval Scheme (CCAS) which is committed to promoting codes of practice that meet their core criteria and have obtained TSI approval. 

8.1. What are the benefits to business?

  • Members of an approved code can display the TSI approved code logo. This will help you promote your business as one that consumers can trust, giving you a commercial advantage over competitors
  • By adhering to an approved code, your business can demonstrate a higher level of customer service and customer protection, such as a robust and legitimate customer complaints procedure and clear pre-contractual information. This will help you to attract and retain customers
  • Being part of an approved code can help drive up customer standards within your sector and so raise consumer trust.

Members of an approved code will also have their business details shown on the TSI's website, and in addition will be displayed on the following two websites:

  • Referenceline, who host and manage TSI's Consumer Code Online Directory
  • Citizens Advice Bureau.

8.2. Using the TSI Logo

The TSI Logo is subject to specific conditions and applies to the Code of Practice for Residential Estate Agents and Residential Letting Agents.

The guidelines for its use can be accessed here:

8.3. For use on your website

The TSI logo is protected to ensure its security to prevent misuse by non member agents. Instructions on adding the TSI logo to your website can be found on pages 11- 12 of the TSI Approved Code Brand Guide Describing approval of TPO Code in other documents

If you wish to draw attention to our code being approved by TSI CCAS in other documents without using the logos you may do so by following the guidance found on page 9 of the TSI Approved Code Brand Guide.