The Property Ombudsman
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Features
Trouble in the communal garden
"Was a complaint to a management company valid, or was it, a storm in a birdbath?" asks Katrine Sporle, The Property Ombudsman.
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Latest property news
Watch out estate agents, there’s a Chinese email hacker about
An email hacker in China appears to be targeting UK agents in a bid to spread a computer virus via emails sent from bogus ‘buyers’ pretending to be interested in properties for sale, it has been reported. The Property Ombudsman (TPO) is warning all estate and letting agents to be vigilant after a TPO member was targeted by the individual. The agency, which has not been named, was contacted by a Chinese buyer who expressed keen interest in a property for sale. But when the agent became suspicious about the buyer’s wish to purchase the property quickly and without seeing it, he challenged the individual to supply identification documents before the purchase could proceed any further. He agent told TPO that documents sent over by the Chinese individual were difficult to open and, after passing them to their IT department, it was confirmed the documents contained malware including a series of “potentially destructive viruses”, TPO says. “Fortunately in this case, the scam was identified and no company or customer details were compromised.,” says Gerry Fitzjohn, Board Chairman for TPO commented. “However, this is a reminder to all agents to be both cautious and vigilant. The importance of antivirus software is…
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Features
Building regulations for loft conversions
"When is loft conversion a bona fide bedroom? Only when it's properly made up" says Katrine Sporle, The Property Ombudsman.
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Features
Naming and shaming
All agents must, by law, register with one of the three approved property redress schemes – and the system has just been strengthened, so read on.
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Features
Communicating with clients
"Communication is child’s play these days, so keep in touch with your clients", says Katrine Sporle, The Property Ombudsman.
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Latest property news
TPO awards to complainants rise to over £1million
The value of awards that The Property Ombudsman Service (TPOS) told agents to pay disgruntled customers tripped over £1 million for the first time last year...
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Movers & Shakers
TPO appoints Baroness Warwick as Council Chair
Baroness Diana Warwick has been appointed Chair of The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme’s independent Council.
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Latest property news
“Switching utility providers without the tenant’s agreement can trigger a major storm”, says Katrine Sporle, The Property Ombudsman.
Switching utility providers without the tenant’s agreement can trigger a major storm, says Katrine Sporle, The Property Ombudsman.
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Latest property news
TPO report reveals one agent’s £21,972 referencing mistake
The value of awards that The Property Ombudsman (TPO) told agents to pay disgruntled customers tripped over £1 million for the first time last year, its annual report reveals, along with details of one case that cost a letting agent over £20,000. Property Ombudsman Katrine Sporle (pictured, right) is to launch the report at an event later today at the House of Lords that will show total awards reaching £1.2 million in 2016 while the number of difficult cases increased by 7.5% to 3,553. Common complaints Lettings attracted the largest number of resolved cases at 1,997 with those complaining being fairly evening split between landlords and tenants. The average letting award was £531 but the highest was £21,972 (see case details below). The most common complaint was about property management. In sales, two thirds of complaints came from sellers and the remainder from buyers and the average award was £397, while the most common complaint was about communication and record keeping. “TPO works with the industry and consumers to get things right, put things right and set things right,” says Katrine. “This year, TPO’s Codes of Practice, approved by Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), have been revised to clarify many…
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Features
Industrial noise in a quiet location
"Viewing a property is one thing, noting noise levels is another,” says Katrine Sporle, The Property Ombudsman.
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