Are Swansea and Dorset agents worst at displaying letting fees?
Comments by Property Ombudsman would appear to suggest so
The Property Ombudsman Katrine Sporle has revealed that the enforcement letters sent to TPO member agents in Dorset and Swansea last week requiring them to prove they are clearly displaying fees details targeted these areas first because it had found that 50% of letting agents within them were not compliant.
Her comments came during her speech at The Negotiator Conference in London earlier this week.
The letter (see link below) strikes a new and relatively aggressive tone compared to previous efforts and is a taste of what’s to come for agents elsewhere in the UK. TPO says the campaign is national and that the letters are being rolled out region by region in a phased approach. The next roll-out is due to be revealed.
In a nutshell, the letter requires TPO members to provide an image of their fees on display in the branch and a web link and image to demonstrate where their fees are displayed on their website.
“Agents in Swansea and Dorset have until 21st November to provide evidence and any agent that fails to do so will be referred to Trading Standards,” a TPO spokesperson told The Negotiator.
The campaign is being conducted in partnership with the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) which, Katrine Sporle told delegates at the conference, was intended to sharpen the TPOs regulatory teeth by policing agents together with the CTSI.
