The Property Ombudsman
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tpos.co.uk
The Property Ombudsman
@tpos.co.uk
The impartial and independent Ombudsman, resolving disputes between consumers and property businesses since 1990. www.tpos.co.uk
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Estate agents and some letting agents must be registered with HM Revenue & Customs for anti-money laundering (AML) supervision or face a fine.

Government guidance on who needs to register for AML supervision is linked in the comments below.

thenegotiator.co.uk/news/regulat...
Estate agents fined over £800k for AML breaches
HMRC has issued 170 penalties to estate agents who have breached money laundering regulations, totalling £835,842.
thenegotiator.co.uk
February 10, 2026 at 9:30 AM
An investigation into a two-year dispute found multiple property management failures and a compensation award of £1,660 awarded to the complainant.

Read the full case study to find out what happened (linked below).
February 3, 2026 at 9:00 AM
A letting agent and a Residential Leasehold Management (RLM) company have been expelled from our scheme after they failed to pay compensation awards to consumers.

The businesses were expelled between September and December 2025.
January 30, 2026 at 11:01 AM
Our Chief Ombudsman Lesley Horton appeared on Rip Off Britain to talk about buying a property at auction and our investigation of complaints against BP Auctions, who we later expelled from our scheme.

If you missed it live, you can catch up on BBC iPlayer: www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis... 📺
January 28, 2026 at 9:01 AM
The Government has today published its draft Leasehold and Commonhold Reform Bill that sets out plans to move away from leasehold, make commonhold the default ownership for new flats and improve protections for existing leaseholders.
January 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM
The Government has published draft regulations that list the mandatory information that landlords must provide for new tenancies from 1 May 2026, under the Renters’ Rights Act.

Read the full guidance: assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/69678c...
January 21, 2026 at 3:37 PM
It's Brew Monday today. Feeling low is something that can happen at any time of the year, Brew Monday is a reminder to reach out to someone you know, and perhaps have a catch up over a brew.

Reaching out can help show someone that they are valued and cared about.
January 19, 2026 at 9:01 AM
We've designed new guidance to help home buyers avoid conditional selling.

Conditional selling is where an estate agent pressures a buyer into using specific services, such as its recommended solicitor or in-house mortgage broker, as a condition of accepting their offer.
January 15, 2026 at 10:01 AM
After moving into his newly purchased home, Ahmed found that the windows were single-glazed despite the building survey stating they were double-glazed. He felt the survey misled him and that the cost to replace the windows would be more than £15,000.

🔎 Read more: www.tpos.co.uk/case-studies...
Survey report misinformation leads to buyer dispute | The Property Ombudsman
Case studies on a range of issues across different sectors using the most recent examples.
www.tpos.co.uk
January 13, 2026 at 9:00 AM
This week, we're highlighting independent estate agent Laura Jane Barnes-Martin-Foster, based in County Durham, for passing our audit and being compliant on first inspection.

Find out more about our compliance support for businesses: www.tpos.co.uk/businesses/c...
January 9, 2026 at 9:30 AM
Happy New Year from everyone at The Property Ombudsman. Our office will be reopening on Friday 2 January at 9am.
January 1, 2026 at 9:01 AM
Today, the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 introduces a new enforcement framework intended to improve standards across the private rented sector. This act gives local housing authorities new powers to investigate whether a landlord or an agent letting out private rented housing has broken certain laws.
December 27, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Merry Christmas from everyone at The Property Ombudsman. Our office and phone line are now closed and will reopen on Friday 2 January at 9am.
December 24, 2025 at 3:03 PM
The Government is inviting feedback on the home buying and selling process.

The consultation closes on 29 December 2025. Share your views (link below).
December 19, 2025 at 11:01 AM
Cath, a landlord, complained that her letting agent failed to register her tenants’ deposit. After the tenants moved out and took legal action against her, Cath asked us to investigate.

🔎 Read our latest case study: www.tpos.co.uk/case-studies...
December 18, 2025 at 2:00 AM
Landlords must ensure upholstered furniture meets fire resistance standards.

Understand the changes that have recently come into effect as part of the Furniture and Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) (Amendment) Regulations 2025 by reading CTSI's guidance:
www.businesscompanion.info
December 16, 2025 at 9:01 AM
This week, we're highlighting Cliffords Estates, based in Leicester, for passing our compliance audit on first inspection.

We support businesses by carrying out proactive compliance audits to make sure they have certain measures in place to protect consumers, some of which are required by law.
December 12, 2025 at 9:30 AM
We've been speaking at Propertymark's Renters' Rights Act Roadshows to help letting agents understand what the Act means for them. We've shared insight from our casework, explained the role of the PRS Landlord Ombudsman and highlighted what letting agents and landlords can do now to prepare.
December 10, 2025 at 9:00 AM
Congratulations to the winners at the 2025 allAgents Customer Experience Awards, decided entirely by verified customer reviews. It is great to see that TPO-registered businesses took home 29 awards, recognised for delivering exceptional service and putting their customers first. 🎉
December 8, 2025 at 12:00 PM
Amanda and Oliver faced months of leaks and damp in their rented home, with slow responses from their letting agent. Read the full case study, including advice for agents to best support tenants in this situation.

www.tpos.co.uk/case-studies...
December 5, 2025 at 9:30 AM
We were in London to attend this year's The Negotiator Conference. It was great to meet with property professionals and discuss how we support businesses to deliver high standards of service to their customers.
December 1, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Independent estate agent Michelle Roper, in Northumberland, has passed our compliance audit on first inspection. We audit more than 2,000 businesses each year to make sure they have certain measures in place to protect consumers.

www.tpos.co.uk/businesses/c...
November 28, 2025 at 12:02 PM
We'll be at The Negotiator Conference tomorrow - come and say hello! 👋 Stop by stand 24 to find out how we support property businesses to promote best practice and resolve issues early.

#thenegotiatorconference
November 27, 2025 at 9:30 AM
Our policy manager Charlotte was invited to attend the Federation of Private Residents' Associations Annual Conference & AGM, where she was able to meet FPRA members and hear about the issues that are important to them.

FPRA has provided support and guidance to its members since 1971.
November 19, 2025 at 9:30 AM
The Renters' Rights Act will be put into action next year and aims to improve the current system for both the 11 million private renters and the 2.3 million landlords in England.

The Government has now released its roadmap for the rollout of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 (linked below).
November 17, 2025 at 1:00 PM