Our sole focus is to resolve complaints between consumers and our members
In 2024, complaint enquiries rose by 20% (2861) compared to 2023 (2393) which is a 44% increase since 2023. By December 2024, we had investigated 15% more cases than the previous year.
Even with our increasing membership numbers, the average rate of complaints for each member has remained the same, at a little over eight per cent.
Complaints - which include lettings, sales and leasehold complaints – are still completed, on average, in around 40 days from the time we receive them. This is consistent with the previous year.
We aim to resolve complaints quickly by being approachable from the start, using:
As well as continuing to resolve individual complaints, our expertise increases:
our understanding of what goes wrong
identifies emerging trends and problems
delivery of educational resources to the industry
opportunity to improve member practices for the future, across the industry
With our growing success at early resolution, our primary focus remains building that initial impartial relationship with both complainant and member at the earliest stage of a complaint.
Once a case has been allocated to one of our team of experts, they will:
call both parties giving them the opportunity to be involved in discussion, collecting evidence and finding a solution
take the time to understand what has happened
propose a solution that may be acceptable to resolve the complaint
be the single point of contact throughout the early resolution stage
This helps us to propose a solution quickly and settle the complaint, without the need to prolong the process for a formal written position which can take another few weeks and may not improve on the proposed early resolution.
Even with our ever-increasing complaint numbers, we have continued to successfully resolve around 50% of the cases at early resolution.
This year our early resolutions awarded a total of £194,878
This is 45.8 per cent less than the amount awarded in 2023 (£359,426).
Where we are unable to reach an early resolution, the case will go to the formal stage for an impartial decision.
Even with the increased number of complaints, we issued 4% fewer proposed and default decisions in 2023, highlighting the success of cases at the earlier stages.
The total figure awarded for proposed and default decisions was £1,486,710.
An increase of 56% from 2023 (£953,062).
The steep increase in financial awards is the result of increasing numbers of complaints combined with the lack of engagement by some of our members, who do not appreciate the authority we have to make such awards.
This continues our goal to support, educate and improve how the industry services its consumers while continuing to highlight some of the poor practices that go on.
Total figure awarded in 2024 = £1,681,588
Due to the work on early resolutions and proposed decisions, appeals are rarely successful.
The team’s hard work at the earliest stages of the case continues to drive our increasing success, made possible by parties who are open to discussion and fully engage with us”
Tenancy payments and rent collection
Holding deposits
Duty of care (poor service/misleading information)
Instructions, terms of business and commissions
Marketing and advertising
Poor service management
Maintenance
Provision of relevant documents
