Membership stats 2021
The Property Redress Scheme has continued to grow in 2021. In our seventh year, our membership grew to over 16,000 agents with a further 1,250 registered branches throughout the UK. Membership numbers rose by 8.9 per cent, from 14,932 in 2020 to 16,272 in 2021.
We offer three membership models to give our members the choice of a model that suits their needs. The three membership models are:
- The enhanced model: members pay an annual fee for a head office and an additional fee for each branch. There are no additional fees for sales and lettings complaints (this is subject to a fair usage policy)
- The entry model: members pay a lower annual subscription fee and a reasonable complaint fee for each sales, lettings and property management complaint
- Residential leasehold management model: this model is designed for property agents that conduct residential leasehold block management as the main aspect of their business. Members pay a reasonable fee for property management, sales and lettings complaints.
The majority of our members use the entry model membership (71 per cent), just over 27 per cent of our members choose the enhanced model and only two per cent are residential leasehold management model members.
Our membership also comprises private landlords and corporate landlords (791 members) who have voluntarily joined our scheme, before the Government makes landlord redress compulsory. Learn more about our landlord redress pilot with the National Residential Landlords Association in this report.
In terms of type of work undertaken, 81 per cent of our members are letting agents, 44 per cent are sales agents and five per cent are property professionals with the vast majority being corporate landlords with some inventory clerks, educators and relocation agents.
Geographically speaking, 33 per cent of our members are based in London. This is followed by members in the South East (12.7 per cent) and the North West (9.7 per cent). There have been 46 agencies expelled from the scheme, 41.3 per cent of which are based in London, 13 per cent in the East of England and 10.9 per cent in the South East.
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London
Members: 5064
Expelled members: 19
East Midlands
Members: 859
Expelled members: 4
East of England
Members: 1165
Expelled members: 6
South East
Members: 1893
Expelled members: 5
South West
Members: 1018
Expelled members: 0
Wales
Members: 527
Expelled members: 0
West Midlands
Members: 1082
Expelled members: 3
Yorkshire and The Humber
Members: 999
Expelled members: 1
North East
Members: 434
Expelled members: 3
North West
Members: 1517
Expelled members: 3
Northern Ireland
Members: 329
Expelled members: 0
Scotland
Members: 408
Expelled members: 0
North East
Members: 434
Expelled members: 3
Complaint stats 2021
Our priority is to resolve complaints between consumers and our members. Where possible we always encourage our members to engage in open communication with consumers to avoid complaints. However, unfortunately complaints are sometimes inevitable.
Complaints raised
In 2021, complaints raised increased by just 2.4 per cent (1,872) compared to 2020 (1,828).
This is a sizeable net reduction when the substantial increase in the number of 2021 UK property transactions is factored in.
This means that we had the equivalent of just one complaint for 11.5 per cent of our members in 2021.
Complaint resolution time
The past year has had an impact on the industry following Covid, however we have been able to keep our average time taken to resolve complaints from the complaint being raised to closed at under 50 days.
For lettings and sales complaints, our average resolution time was 48 days and for residential leasehold management complaints, 52 days.
Early resolution
With early resolution, our sole focus is to understand the root cause of the complaint. We’ve introduced this step for every complaint, which allows all parties the chance to settle before needing a formal written decision.
We take the time to understand the position, assess the evidence and with our expert industry knowledge, engage with both sides to facilitate a positive outcome for all parties. This increases the number of cases solved by early resolution.
In 2021, 57 per cent of our accepted cases were resolved by early resolution conducted by case assessors.
Early resolutions in 2021 resulted in a total of £239,364.86 in suggested settlements for consumers, 117 per cent more than 2020 (£110,143.77).
Decisions
This year, we issued 27 per cent more proposed and default decisions than in 2020.
The total figure awarded over proposed cases was £351,212.21, an increase of 104.8 per cent from 2020. And an average of £1,012 per award.
Due to the work on early resolutions and proposed decisions we are not required to carry out many final decisions, but in 2021 we had a 55 per cent increase as more decisions were reviewed. Default decisions awarded a further £111,850.77 to consumers.
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In lettings, the top reason for complaints revolved around in-house complaint handling. The next highest was rent, and joint third highest was general communication and fees and charges. The top reason for complaints in sales was misleading or incorrect information. In residential leasehold management, maintenance issues were the most common causes of complaints.
In 2021, we supported our members by continuing to promote our early resolution service and helping them to reduce the number of complaints they receive themselves. We believe the best way for them to do this is to listen, and to talk to the experts.
What were the top three complaints?
Lettings
1. Duty of care
2. Instructions and terms of business
3. Tenancy agreement, inventories and deposits
Sales
1. Marketing and advertising
2. Instructions, terms of business, commission
3. Deposits
Property management
1. General communication
2. Maintenance
3. Service contract tendering/management
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Compliance report 2021
At the Property Redress Scheme, we take our responsibility to help raise standards in the property industry seriously. And at times this means we need to take strong action against rogue agents.
Most of our members are compliant with our decisions, compliance with our decisions has increased from 78 per cent in 2020 to 87 per cent in 2021. This means that almost 9 in 10 of consumers received the full amount they were owed.
When rogue agents do not comply with our decisions we work closely with the National Trading Standards Estates, Letting Agent Team and local Trading Standards to take robust action. This has resulted in 46 members being expelled in 2021 (two more than 2020) and our biggest award was at our limit of £25,000. The majority of expelled agents are based in London (41.3 per cent), 13 per cent are based in theEast of England and 10.9 per cent in the South East.
We will continue to work closely with The National Trading Standards Estate and Letting Agency Team to improve standards in the property industry.
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The advisory council
As the Property Redress Scheme turns eight in 2022, we have decided to update an element of our governance. The advisory council, who have been in place since we launched in 2014 will be replaced by an advisory panel. This advisory panel will be made up of experts in the property industry covering the following membership areas:
Lettings, sales, residential leasehold management, property sourcing, property education, rent to rent and inventory.
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We will also have representatives that cover:
Parliament, trading standards, landlord, tenant and general consumers.
With the Property Redress Scheme covering multiple areas of work in the property industry we have decided to address our needs differently with a wider and more diverse panel of industry experts. We will have a specialist covering each area who we will work with both for information and guidance but also to assist in improving and enhancing standards in their chosen areas.
Throughout the first half of 2022 we will be announcing the new members of the panel who will be representing each section. And an annual round table will be held with the advisory panel to discuss and debate relevant trends and developments in the industry.
Our heartfelt thanks are given to the outgoing advisory council members who have supported and assisted the development of the scheme over the last eight years.
Chairman of the Property Redress Scheme
Monroe Edward Palmer, Baron Palmer of Child's Hill, OBE, FCA is a British Liberal Democrat politician. A member of the House of Lords since 2011 and Chairman of the Property Redress Scheme advisory council. Lord Monroe Palmer currently speaks on international affairs, local government, and taxation.
Alex is the CTSI Lead Officer for Trading Standards with nine years of experience working in the property and lettings department. Her focus is to enforce the client money protection schemes for property agents and regulations across London.
CEO of the UK's largest franchised property inventory management and property compliance reporting company, No Letting Go and CEO of Kaptur Software, mobile data collecting software for the property industry. Nick is a passionate supporter of the property industry, and his hard work and support shows this.
Alison Nunez, appointed by McCarthy Stone as Multi-Tenure Director with the purpose to lead the company’s new rental proposition, providing retirees with an alternative option to purchasing or shared ownership. Alison has over 25 years’ of experience in the property industry, specialising in residential lettings.
Richard is an experienced multi property landlord, former Director of the National Landlords Association (now NRLA) and current Director of UK Association of Letting Agents (UKALA) which supports over 1000 letting agents across the UK. Richard is a very strong supporter of the Property Redress Scheme.
Tessa is a solicitor specialising in residential landlord and tenant law. Working in property law for over 20 years, she brings her experience of private residential law to the advisory panel. Tessa is the founder of online membership service, Landlord Law. Where members can access tenancy documents and ask for legal advice.
With over 30 years’ experience in lettings, property management, sales and development, Eric is currently the Managing Director at Martin and Co and is responsible for two regions, South of England and Scotland. Eric specialises on letting compliance, training and supporting complaints in the industry.
Also thank you to previous advisory council members David Westgate (Andrews), Suzy Hershman (mydeposits) and Paul Shamplina (the Hamilton Fraser Group).
Landlord redress - levelling the playing field
The Property Redress Scheme is delighted to be working with the UK’s largest landlord association, the National Residential Landlords Association (NRLA) on a pilot redress scheme for landlord members and their tenants throughout 2022.
The pilot scheme is free to NRLA members and will provide a route for tenants to have their unresolved complaints dealt with by an independent third party in a confidential and non-confrontational way.

Ben Beadle Chief Executive
of the NRLA
"For some time, we have stressed how important it is that an effective system of redress is established to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants.
This pilot will give NRLA members the chance to demonstrate their commitment to excellent customer service and play a pivotal part in the development of an effective redress scheme in which both landlords and tenants can have confidence."

Tim Frome, Director at HF
Resolution Ltd
"We are delighted to work with Ben and his team, to provide redress directly to NRLA landlord members and their tenants.
We worked closely with the NRLA to design the pilot and to ensure it is right for both landlords and tenants. Landlords who join us in this pilot will benefit from our experienced and qualified team, who know the sector inside out.
What we will learn from working with NRLA landlords and the experience gained during the pilot will be vital in guiding the Government when they make landlord redress mandatory."

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