Worries about ARPM mount as agents report landlords “not being paid rent”

The Negotiator has been contacted by several estate agents from across the UK concerned that their outsourced property management supplier ARPM is no longer taking calls or returning emails.

One agent, Richard Burke of Coventry firm Pure Properties says a dozen of his landlords have been in touch to ask why their monthly rent payment has not landed in their bank accounts.

Burke says he only joined ARPM recently after the Covid pandemic persuaded him to outsource his day-to-date property management including rent collection and maintenance.

“The ARPM team were really good and many of our landlords commented on the quality of service,” he says.

“But out of the blue yesterday many said their rent hadn’t arrived, and we can’t get hold of anyone at ARPM to find out what’s happened – we keep getting messages saying people have left.”

Burke says he’s tracked down his ARPM account manager who, although she’s on holiday and has not been paid herself, has been trying to sort things out.

Up all night

“My business partner and I were up all last night trying to work out what to do – we may have to reimburse our landlords out of our own pockets in the meantime, on top of looking after our landlords’ properties again and also asking all the tenants to change the bank account they pay their rent to,” he adds.

Burke also says he’s been in contact with four or five other agencies in his area which are in the same situation.

We have spoken to a client money protection expert who says agents whose landlords and properties are managed by ARPM should check their CMP cover as soon as possible.

The Negotiator has contacted ARPM’s founder Simon Duce (pictured) for comment, but he has not returned calls, text or emails.

Also, the company’s business development director, Tim McGlashan, has now left the company.

Burke has asked that any other agents affected by the ARPM problems email him direct.