Property Redress reports 47% rise in agent complaints

Property Redress says it has seen agent complaint enquiries rocket, even as disputes are being settled more quickly.

It says there was a 47% increase in overall complaint enquiries last year, though resolution times are shorter.

The scheme, which also covers sales and sales leasehold management, received 4,220 complaint enquiries during 2025, compared with 2,863 in 2024.

That marks a 77% increase since 2023 and by December, accepted cases were up 41% on the previous year.

Lettings generated the highest volume of complaints, with deposits, poor service and management, tenancy payments and rent collection among the most common issues.

Complaint volumes are rising

The organisation’s head of redress, Sean Hooker, said: “The residential property sector is operating in a challenging and evolving environment.

“Economic pressures, reform and increased consumer awareness are all contributing to greater scrutiny.

“What the 2025 data shows is that although complaint volumes are rising, professional standards among our members remain resilient.”

He added: “Resolution times have improved and early settlements have increased, which reflects constructive engagement from both agents and consumers.”

Mr Hooker went on to say that communication was crucial for quick complaint resolution.

Complaint resolution times improve

Despite higher volumes, the average complaint rate per member remained at just over 8%.

Membership rose to 19,051 from 18,799 in 2024, while 85 firms were expelled for non-compliance, around 0.4% of the total.

Resolution times fell as cases increased with an average time of 34 days, down from 39 days in 2024.

In 2025, 53% of cases were resolved at the early resolution stage, compared with 50% the previous year.

Awards through early settlements totalled £273,310, a 40% increase year on year.

Property management and sales

Across all case stages, total awards reached £1,476,824, reflecting financial redress agreed at early resolution and through formal decisions.

Formal award totals were lower than the previous year as more disputes concluded before escalation.

Sales disputes frequently involved duty of care and misleading information, instructions and commission disagreements.

While transaction levels in sales remained steady, unpredictability in the market was linked to complaint growth.

Property management and leasehold cases centred on poor management service, maintenance and the provision of relevant documentation.

Leasehold disputes remained among the most entrenched areas of complaint.