Estate agencies fined £860,000 during Trading Standards CMP crackdown
Over 70 firms in the Midlands were caught failing to comply with Client Money Protection rules, it has been revealed.
Some 70 letting agents were recently fined a total of £861,000 for failing to comply with Client Money Protection (CMP) rules, it has been revealed.
In a crackdown across The Midlands, trading standards officers checked whether agents were making the necessary CMP checks.
Enforcement
The three-year drive from 2022 to 2025 resulted in 131 enforcement notices being issued to 74 agents, who were fined £861,758.
And Central England Trading Standards Authorities (CEnTSA), which led ‘Operation Jupiter’, said over £11 million in ‘financial detriment’ was prevented.
Many agents were unaware, non-compliant or deliberately avoiding it.”
Martin Harland, Service Manager at Warwickshire Trading Standards and Project Lead Officer, says: “Operation Jupiter has served as a wake-up call for those non-compliant agents.
“By taking enforcement action via penalty notices, we have ensured there is a level playing field so that all agents are compliant.
“Despite the legal requirement for CMP, many agents were unaware, non-compliant or deliberately avoiding it.”
Key outcomes:
- £11.1m in detriment prevented – calculated based on average rents and deposits handled by agents without CMP.
- 131 final notices issued – targeting 74 agents, with most receiving multiple penalties.
- £861,578 in penalties – with over half collected by project close.
Propertymark’s compliance team supported the operation by answering hundreds of enquiries from Trading Standards, and providing witness statements when required.
“Operation Jupiter demonstrates that this isn’t just a compliance formality — it’s vital protection for tenants and landlords against financial risk,” Propertymark said.
