Despite best efforts, negotiating with your agent/property professional (our member) is sometimes unsuccessful. If you are not satisfied with their response, or have not received a response at all, you may be able to raise a complaint with us. Read through our guidance and start your complaint below
Before raising a complaint with us there are a few things you need to know.
Before making a complaint, you will need to have:
• written to the agent detailing your complaint
• allowed them up to 8 weeks to try and resolve your concerns
If there is no response or the resolution offered is unsatisfactory you may be able to raise a complaint with us. The quickest and easiest way to do this is, and provide all your evidence, is online here
As a consumer:
• there is no cost for raising a complaint
• you can withdraw from our process at any time
Use our agent finder to check if your property agent is a member of our scheme
*See a list of members expelled from our scheme here
Check below to see how we can help by selecting which best describes your situation.
Freeholders
The Property Redress Scheme can help with complaints regarding whether a property agent has acted fairly and reasonably. Examples include:
• Clear Terms and Fees
• Communication
• Repairs
• Accounts
• Handover on Termination
• Complaints Handling
• Help with any breach of legislation
• Give a legal ruling, for example, on the interpretation of the lease
• Intervene in disputes that have arisen between you and the leaseholders
If your complaint involves any issues not covered, you will need to consider other avenues such as legal action or mediation.
Leaseholders (Tenants)
The Property Redress Scheme can help with complaints regarding whether a property agent has acted fairly and reasonably. Examples include:
• Communication and Availability
• Requests for Information
• Repairs
• Access to Your Property
• Disputes
• Complaint Handling
• Help with any breach of legislation
• Give a legal ruling e.g. on the interpretation of the lease
• Management performance
• Service charges
• Forcing the agent to do repairs
If you are complaining as a leaseholder, we are limited in what we can deal with. If you would like more advice,
The Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) gives free legal advice to leaseholders on the law affecting residential leasehold in England and Wales
Leaseholders with freehold
If you've enlisted a property agent to manage your property on your behalf, Property Redress can review complaints regarding the agent's fairness and reasonableness.
Once you've acquired your Freehold, the legislative protections afforded to leaseholders may no longer apply in the same manner. This shift in ownership grants you control over property management decisions and associated costs.
Regardless of your circumstance, it's highly advised to seek guidance from The Leasehold Advisory Service for comprehensive assistance:
[The Leasehold Advisory Service](https://www.lease-advice.org)
Residents Management Companies (RMCs)
The Property Redress Scheme assesses complaints regarding whether a property agent representing the RMC has acted fairly and reasonably. Examples include:
• Clear Terms and Fees
• Communication
• Repairs
• Accounts
• Handover on Termination
• Complaints Handling
• Assist with breaches of legislation
• Provide legal rulings, such as lease interpretation
• Mediate disputes between residents and leaseholders
For complaints about the Residents Management Company, please refer to the First-Tier Tribunal (or in Wales, The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal).
Residents Management Companies (RMCs)
The Property Redress Scheme assesses complaints regarding whether a property agent representing the RTM has acted fairly and reasonably. Examples include:
• Clear Terms and Fees
• Communication
• Repairs
• Accounts
• Handover on Termination
• Complaints Handling
• Assist with breaches of legislation
• Provide legal rulings, such as lease interpretation
• Mediate disputes between residents and leaseholders
For complaints regarding appointing a new manager or ending the Right to Manage, please refer to the First-Tier Tribunal (or in Wales, The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal).
Housing Association Residents
We regret to inform you that The Property Redress Scheme is unable to address complaints concerning Housing Associations.
What to Do About Your Complaint:
If You Are a Tenant: You can lodge a complaint directly with your Housing Association if you rent your home from them. This includes issues such as unaddressed repairs, inadequate repair work, or neglect of safety concerns within your residence.
If You Are a Leaseholder: As a leaseholder, you own your home on a long lease, including shared ownership leases. You have the right to file a complaint if the Housing Association, acting as your freeholder, fails to adhere to the terms outlined in your lease. This might involve situations where the Housing Association neglects cleaning or maintaining the communal areas of the building.
Your Housing Association should be a member of the Housing Ombudsman. If you are dissatisfied with the Housing Association's response to your concerns, you have the option to escalate your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman.
Shared Ownership
We regret to inform you that The Property Redress Scheme cannot address complaints regarding Housing Associations.
What to Do About Your Complaint:
Shared ownership schemes allow individuals to part-buy and part-rent a home, often administered by housing associations or private entities.
If you own your home through a shared ownership lease, you have the right to file a complaint if the Housing Association, acting as your freeholder, fails to fulfil obligations outlined in your lease. This could include instances where the Housing Association neglects cleaning or maintaining the communal areas of the building.
Your Housing Association should be affiliated with the Housing Ombudsman. If you find the Housing Association's response to your concerns unsatisfactory, you have the option to escalate your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman.
The Property Redress Scheme can help with complaints regarding whether a property agent has acted fairly and reasonably. Examples include:
• Clear Terms and Fees
• Communication
• Repairs
• Accounts
• Handover on Termination
• Complaints Handling
• Help with any breach of legislation
• Give a legal ruling, for example, on the interpretation of the lease
• Intervene in disputes that have arisen between you and the leaseholders
If your complaint involves any issues not covered, you will need to consider other avenues such as legal action or mediation.
The Property Redress Scheme can help with complaints regarding whether a property agent has acted fairly and reasonably. Examples include:
• Communication and Availability
• Requests for Information
• Repairs
• Access to Your Property
• Disputes
• Complaint Handling
• Help with any breach of legislation
• Give a legal ruling e.g. on the interpretation of the lease
• Management performance
• Service charges
• Forcing the agent to do repairs
If your complaint involves any issues not covered, you will need to consider other avenues such as legal action or mediation.
If you've enlisted a property agent to manage your property on your behalf, Property Redress can review complaints regarding the agent's fairness and reasonableness.
Once you've acquired your Freehold, the legislative protections afforded to leaseholders may no longer apply in the same manner. This shift in ownership grants you control over property management decisions and associated costs.
Regardless of your circumstance, it's highly advised to seek guidance from The Leasehold Advisory Service for comprehensive assistance:
[The Leasehold Advisory Service](https://www.lease-advice.org)
The Property Redress Scheme assesses complaints regarding whether a property agent representing the RMC has acted fairly and reasonably. Examples include:
• Clear Terms and Fees
• Communication
• Repairs
• Accounts
• Handover on Termination
• Complaints Handling
• Assist with breaches of legislation
• Provide legal rulings, such as lease interpretation
• Mediate disputes between residents and leaseholders
For complaints about the Residents Management Company, please refer to the First-Tier Tribunal (or in Wales, The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal).
The Property Redress Scheme assesses complaints regarding whether a property agent representing the RTM has acted fairly and reasonably. Examples include:
• Clear Terms and Fees
• Communication
• Repairs
• Accounts
• Handover on Termination
• Complaints Handling
• Assist with breaches of legislation
• Provide legal rulings, such as lease interpretation
• Mediate disputes between residents and leaseholders
For complaints regarding appointing a new manager or ending the Right to Manage, please refer to the First-Tier Tribunal (or in Wales, The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal).
We regret to inform you that The Property Redress Scheme is unable to address complaints concerning Housing Associations.
What to Do About Your Complaint:
If You Are a Tenant: You can lodge a complaint directly with your Housing Association if you rent your home from them. This includes issues such as unaddressed repairs, inadequate repair work, or neglect of safety concerns within your residence.
If You Are a Leaseholder: As a leaseholder, you own your home on a long lease, including shared ownership leases. You have the right to file a complaint if the Housing Association, acting as your freeholder, fails to adhere to the terms outlined in your lease. This might involve situations where the Housing Association neglects cleaning or maintaining the communal areas of the building.
Your Housing Association should be a member of the Housing Ombudsman. If you are dissatisfied with the Housing Association's response to your concerns, you have the option to escalate your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman.
We regret to inform you that Property Redress cannot address complaints regarding Housing Associations.
What to Do About Your Complaint:
Shared ownership schemes allow individuals to part-buy and part-rent a home, often administered by housing associations or private entities.
If you own your home through a shared ownership lease, you have the right to file a complaint if the Housing Association, acting as your freeholder, fails to fulfil obligations outlined in your lease. This could include instances where the Housing Association neglects cleaning or maintaining the communal areas of the building.
Your Housing Association should be affiliated with the Housing Ombudsman. If you find the Housing Association's response to your concerns unsatisfactory, you have the option to escalate your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman.
We will only accept a complaint where:
The complaint will be allocated to a case assessor who will:
When a complaint is accepted, the case assessor will:
Once all evidence has been received, the case assessor has up to 15 working days to:
The case officer will:
Once a decision has been made:
If a review request is accepted:
The agent will have 10 working days to comply with the decision, at whichever stage it is made
You can find the full complaints process, and timescales, in our conditions of complaints in the resources section of our website.
Please allow an hour to complete the form and upload your evidence during this time as there is currently no option to ‘save’ while providing the details.
