How to complain about your property agent
1. Know your agent
This guide covers complaints to estate agents, letting agents and managing agents.
Managing agents act as the manager of communal facilities of a residential block, usually leasehold or share of freehold, on behalf of the freeholder.
Estate agents sell property, usually chosen by and paid for by the seller of the property, by marketing it to potential buyers.
Letting agents arrange the renting of a property on behalf of the property's owner, usually chosen by and paid for by the property owner, and market it to potential tenants.
Sometimes, letting agents also manage the individual property for the owner, acting between tenant and landlord for the duration of the contract.
Read on to find out what to do if you have a problem with a property agent.
2. Complain directly to the agent
As always, you should speak first to the agent directly raising any concerns you may have with them in the first instance.
You should always give the agent a chance to put things right before escalating your complaint.
Be mindful that the agent might not be able to resolve your complaint immediately so it's worth establishing how long they think it could take.
If you're unhappy with the way your agent is dealing with your complaint, you should make a formal complaint and go through the agent's internal complaints procedure.
3. Escalate your complaint
Estate agents dealing with residential properties in the UK and letting agents in England and Wales must be a member of an approved redress scheme.
The schemes are designed to ensure tenants have a straightforward option to hold their agents to account.
The two compulsory schemes for letting and managing agents are:
The schemes offer independent investigation of complaints about hidden fees or poor service.
You can check with the different schemes to see if your letting agent is a member. If they are not, you have grounds to complain to your local trading standards department.
And remember, ombudsmen will not usually deal with a complaint until you've exhausted your agents' own internal complaints procedure, and have been unable to reach a satisfactory resolution.
You can use our template letter to ask the Property Ombudsman to intervene in your dispute.
4. Complain to a trade association
Estate agents
If you're unhappy with the service or the treatment you've received from your estate agent, members of NAEA Propertymark are bound by strict rules.
Check the Propertymark website to see if your estate agent is a member.
Propertymark can take disciplinary action on your behalf if your agent hasn't protected and promoted your interests.
Letting agents
ARLA Propertymark is the main UK professional body for letting agents.
If you have a complaint against a member, it can investigate this matter for you.
Managing agents
The Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA) is a trade association for residential property management agents.
This usually applies to leasehold property where the agent manages the whole building on behalf of the freeholder - whereas letting agents may manage individual flats within the building on behalf of individual owners.
All ARMA members must offer access to an independent ombudsman scheme where unresolved disputes can be addressed.
Check the ARMA website to see if your managing agent is a member.
If it is, ARMA can ensure that complaints are handled well by their members, but if your complaint remains unresolved, then you can take the matter to the ombudsman.