Half of all cases received by Property Redress last year were resolved through early resolution, despite a 20% rise in complaints.

The redress scheme reports that early resolutions resulted in awards totalling £194,878 in 2024, which was 45% less than in 2023 and 44% less than in 2022.

An early resolution means Property Redress doesn’t have to make a formal decision.

Its annual report - covering the activities of more than 20,000 member offices - shows that complaint enquiries rose to 2,861, a jump of 20% compared to 2023.

The average rate of complaints for each member remained at 8% cent for the second year running, down from 10% in 2022.

Complaints completion times

Complaints were completed, on average, in about 40 days from the time Property Redress received them, while the top three complaints for lettings were the same as the previous year.

These were holding deposits, poor service and management, and tenancy payments and rent collection.

The scheme reports that it issued 4% fewer decisions than in 2023, highlighting the success of cases at the earlier stages.

The total figure awarded for decisions was £1,486,710, an increase of 56% on 2023.

It was the result of increasing numbers of complaints combined with some larger awards for emerging problem areas, such as property sourcing.

Sean Hooker, head of redress, (pictured) said: “Our steadfast commitment to early resolution has proven effective, reflecting a shared willingness among parties to reach amicable solutions.

“As we strive to support, educate, and improve industry standards while continuing to clamp down on some of the poor practices that ensue, our adoption of innovative approaches like mediation and early resolution has yielded positive outcomes, fostering greater satisfaction among stakeholders.”  

While 76 agencies were expelled last year compared to 58 in 2023, membership numbers grew by 7% to 18,802 agents.