Property Redress has revealed that it expelled nearly 50 estate agencies from its scheme during a six month period last year and has also divulged the details of several worst offenders.

The scheme is one of the two government-approved schemes offering binding redress between consumers and estate agents.

While 12 of the 48 expelled estate agencies were reinstated after complying with the scheme’s requirements, a significant number remain barred from redress membership due to ongoing non-compliance and, therefore, cannot trade legally.

Property Redress has released details of the six cases of estate agencies who remain expelled saying that in each instasnce, consumers were left out of pocket, exposed to risk, or experienced unacceptable levels of service.

“The agents failed to engage with the complaints process, settle awards, or meet their professional obligations,” the redress scheme says.

This includes not engaging in the complaint process about a leaking roof, poor block management, and inflammatory communication; rent payments not passed on to landlords; monies including rent and deposits not returned once a management contract had been terminated; poor management of a medium-size portfolio on a landlord’s behalf including not completing regular inspection; and not paying a tenant their deposit back.

Property Redress says it always seeks to give agents a reasonable opportunity to comply with decisions before formal expulsion is confirmed and then an additional amount of time to rectify the situation before the names of expelled agents are published.

In a significant number of cases, agents who initially do not comply with their responsibilities later return to settle awards, provide non-financial information and pay any outstanding penalty fees, at which point they may be reinstated, it says.

Expulsions

“Allowing this period makes sure that expulsions are only recorded where there has been sustained non-compliance,” the redress scheme adds.

“The reasons for delays in compliance can be complex, and the scheme’s approach is designed to balance consumer protection with a fair and proportionate process.”

Sean Hooker (main image), Head of Redress at Property Redress, adds: “Agents who do not engage in the complaints process, ignore their professional responsibilities, or withhold client money are not only breaking trust, they fall short of the service they owe the people their business is there to serve.

“These expulsions reflect our zero-tolerance approach to non-compliance.

“Our aim is not only to protect consumers but to raise standards in the industry. We urge landlords, tenants, and homeowners to check that their agents remain members of a government-approved redress scheme and to report any misconduct immediately.”

Read more about agents expelled from Property Redress.