Poor customer service triggered more complaints to go before the Property Redress Service than any other factor.
The PRS annual report for 2017 reveals 88 complaints out of the 742 received in the year related to poor service and the way complaints were handled by letting and estate agents.
Close behind were disagreements over money – with moans over deposits and rent collection.
During the year, 27 letting and property management agents were expelled from the scheme.
The number of letting complaints was up 62% to 560.
Property Redress Scheme head of redress Sean Hooker said:
“We have worked hard to get our 2017 Annual Report out early and I believe it contains some very interesting information. Our membership continues to grow at an astonishing rate, but it is the increase in complaint numbers which shows the value we are providing to the property industry.”
The annual report reveals 6,787 letting and estate agencies have signed up with the service.
Letting agents account for 71% of the total.
“There are also serious discussions on regulating the industry and whether all agents will need to be registered or qualified in some form. I have been proactive in saying that I welcome moves to professionalise the industry and how existing standards must be maintained and monitored,” said Hooker.
Letting agents must belong to a property redress scheme by law.
Property Redress Scheme – Breakdown of complaints 2017
| Complaint type | Number of complaints | % of total |
| Poor service/Complaint handling | 88 | 11.86% |
| Fees and charges | 67 | 9.03% |
| Duty of care | 66 | 8.89% |
| Management | 66 | 8.89% |
| Security/Tenancy deposits | 63 | 8.49% |
| Holding deposits | 62 | 8.36% |
| Other | 60 | 8.09% |
| Rent collection | 57 | 7.68% |
| Tenancy agreements | 49 | 6.60% |
| General communication | 28 | 3.77% |
| Termination of contract | 20 | 2.70% |
| Termination of tenancy | 18 | 2.43% |
| Client Money | 17 | 2.29% |
| Viewing/Access to premises | 13 | 1.75% |
| Marketing/Advertising | 12 | 1.62% |
| Terms of business | 12 | 1.62% |
| Inventory | 12 | 1.62% |
| Referencing | 10 | 1.35% |
| Record keeping | 7 | 0.94% |
| Conflict of interest | 7 | 0.94% |
| Inspections | 5 | 0.67% |
| Vulnerable customer | 2 | 0.27% |
| Offers | 1 | 0.13% |
| Total | 742 | 100.00% |
Source: PRS
