Sean Hooker at Property Redress says there were more complaints last year, up 47%, but agent professionalism is strong.
4th Mar 20260 318 1 minute read David Callaghan
Estate agents and landlords were ordered to pay nearly £1.5 million to homeowners and tenants by the Property Redress ombudsman last year.
The amount has fallen slightly to £1.47 million from the previous year despite a 47% increase in complaint enquiries.
Property Redress’ annual report for 2025 reveals there were 4,220 complaints (2,863 in 2024), and there was a 41% rise in cases accepted.
Early settlementsAround £273,000 was awarded through early settlements, a 40% increase on the previous year.
While formal award totals decreased compared with the previous year, this largely reflects a greater proportion of disputes being resolved earlier in the process.
Appeals remain rare, indicating confidence in the robustness of decisions, Property Redress says.
The average resolution time was reduced to 34 days (down from 39 days in 2024), with 53% resolved at early resolution stage, up from 50%.
ExpelledDespite the rise in volumes, the average complaint rate per member has remained steady at just over 8%.
Property Redress membership remained stable, with 19,051 members up from 18,799 in 2024. During 2025, 85 firms were expelled for non-compliance, equating to around 0.4% of the total membership.
Lettings complaints most commonly relate to:
Holding deposits
Poor service and management
Tenancy payments and rent collection
Sales disputes frequently involve:
Duty of care and misleading information
Instructions, terms of business and commission disputes
Marketing and advertising
Property management and leasehold complaints continue to centre on:
Poor management service
Maintenance
Provision of relevant documentation
What the 2025 data shows is that although complaint volumes are rising, professional standards among our members remain resilient.”
Sean Hooker, Head of Redress at Property Redress (pictured), says: “What the 2025 data shows is that although complaint volumes are rising, professional standards among our members remain resilient.
“Resolution times have improved and early settlements have increased, which reflects constructive engagement from both agents and consumers.”
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TagsProperty Ombudsman Property redress Redress scheme 4th Mar 20260 318 1 minute read David Callaghan Share Facebook X LinkedIn Share via Email
