Letting agent complaints on the rise

13 July 2009

The ombudsman’s latest quarterly report shows that complaints against letting agents have climbed 30% in the last three months from 90 new cases in Q1 to 117 new cases in Q2.

Sales complaints have remained stable at 104 new cases, compared with 102 new cases the previous quarter.

The ombudsman says that during Q2 the service received calls from more than 110 consumers a week asking for help in disputes with letting agents.

Christopher Hamer, the ombudsman, says that the trend lends weight to the argument that lettings agents should be legally required to join a compensation scheme, similar to the one that currently covers estate agents.

He says: “This trend is precisely what I forecast as the property market switched emphasis from sales to lettings during the current slowdown.

“Enquiries over lettings disputes now far outstrip those for sales and this is one of the principal reasons for asking the Office of Fair Trading to ratify The Property Ombudsman Lettings Code of Practice under its Consumer Codes Approval Scheme.

“We see this as the first step towards the time when all lettings agents must be legally required to sign up for a redress scheme.”