Tenant complaints against letting agents rocket

Tenant complaints against letting agents jumped by almost half last year, from 2024’s figure of 2,863 to last year’s 4,220, research reveals.

The figures from tenancy platform Propoly, shows that is an annual increase of 47.4%, following a 19.6% rise the previous year.

It says there are an estimated 19,051 agency professionals operating across the UK, with around 75% involved in lettings, or 14,288 agents nationwide.

The most common complaints against letting agents relate to poor service management, holding deposits and rent payments.

RRA will accelerate complaints

The group’s chief executive, Sim Sekhon, said: “The rise in complaints reflects the growing demands being placed on letting agents as their responsibilities continue to expand.

“While it is encouraging that more than half of complaints are resolved at an early stage, increasing complaint volumes highlight the mounting pressures facing the sector.

“The Renters’ Rights Act is likely to accelerate this trend, as tenants become more aware of their rights and more willing to challenge issues they encounter.”

He added: “In many cases, complaints are not the result of poor service or inadequate processes, but of agents having less time to devote to tenant experience as compliance and administrative workloads grow.”

Most dealt with early

However, more complaints were dealt with last year before they escalated and the analysis found that 53% of complaints were resolved at an early stage.

That compares with 50% in 2024.

The firm found 2,237 complaints reached an early resolution last year, up from 1,432 the year before.

Mr Sekhon said: “Delivering a positive tenant experience remains critical, helping landlords secure reliable rental income, reduce disputes and minimise costly void periods.”