2017 proved to be a very busy year for The Property Ombudsman with an increase in consumer complaints received by TPO for review and an increase in member agents that have signed up to TPO’s unique Codes of Practice which improve standards in the property industry. Government came forward with its draft Tenant Fee Bill in November and in addition to numerous other calls for evidence and consultations relating to the property industry, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government issued its consultation entitled Mandatory Client Protection Scheme for Property Agents. The consultation is ongoing at the time of writing. The Rt. Hon. Sajid Javid MP, in his speech to the National House Building Council in November, announced that government will look at what can be done to improve the means of securing redress right across the housing sector. We await the promised consultation in early 2018. TPO’s Joint Campaign with CTSI As mentioned above, the Government has drafted a Tenant Fee Bill which has created considerable discussion and debate in the industry. Letting agents remain required to provide details of the fees (inclusive of VAT) they charge to both landlords and tenants, prominently displayed in their offices and available on websites and property portals. TPO in conjunction with CTSI embarked on a campaign to ensure letting agents are complying with the regulations. Additionally, TPO’s compliance department have produced guidance for member agents, displayed on the TPO website, to support member agents and continue to maintain their compliance with membership requirements. The guidance can be found at www.tpos.co.uk/compliance Financial Results Our income for the year increased in 2017. Costs also increased largely due to the requirement for additional staff to ensure cases are resolved within an acceptable time frame and the investments we are making in our IT systems and front-end consumer advice services (such as our 24/7 chat facility). The number of cases that were referred for full review increased by 3% as detailed elsewhere in the Ombudsman’s report. The result at year end showed a net surplus of £8,817 after tax. The net assets remain strong at £1,798,839 as detailed on page 23. I pay tribute to the Ombudsman and all her staff in all departments for their dedication and hard work during the year and also thank the accounts, compliance and membership teams, for their support and work throughout the year. Gerry Fitzjohn Board Chair BOARD MEMBERS: Mr G R Fitzjohn Mr M I Stoop Mr P A Smith Mr E Mead Mr D Gonsalves Mr O Blake Mr J M Hopper Ms J L Stone   Propertymark (represented by Mark Hayward) Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (represented by Mr M Basquill) Mr P J Fuller Mr D Westgate (Appointed 2 February 2017) 21 TPO’s Board THE PROPERTY OMBUDSMAN ANNUAL REPORT 2017 Gerry Fitzjohn, Board Chairman Michael Stoop, Board Vice Chair Over the 27 years The Property Ombudsman has been established, the scheme has made a significant impact on the services the property industry provides to consumers.