Disputes between Letting Agents and Clients Increase

The Property Ombudsman has reported a decrease in the number of disputes between estate agents and their clients, which in the opinion of Christopher Hamer, the Ombudsman, reflects the downturn in the property market. The Ombudsman report reflected the situation on the UK market of property sales in the first quarter of 2009; also, the report suggests that the amount of disputes between lettings agents and their clients have shown a slight rise. The figures show that the number of disputes between estate agents and their customers have fallen by 38% compared to the same period in the year of 2008. At the same time, the number of disputes between letting agencies and their clients has seen a 3% rise in the first three months of 2009. This figure has shown an increasingly pleasant decline of 200% from the figures of the last year; the change is being explained by the fact that many more letting agencies have joined the redress scheme. Mr. Hamer reported that the major reasons for disputes between letting agents and tenants remain the same as they were in 2008 and include the following matters: referencing standards, used by letting agents, legality of inspection visits, and administration of tenants’ deposits. All in all, in the first quarter of 2009 The Property Ombudsman has received 3,157 enquiries from the tenants and buyers, which were associated with the services of both, estate and letting agents; the figure represents an increase from 3,011 enquiries in the last quarter of 2008.