OFT Estate Agent Public Register goes live

The OFT has today launched an online version of its public register which lists all estate agents, and identifies who have been given warnings or been banned from estate agency work.

Last month, the Government announced plans for new regulations for landlords and letting agents in England. As part of the overhaul, the ‘light-touch’ national register of every private landlord in England has been introduced in a bid to offer extra protection for vulnerable tenants and to help highlight the performance of good landlords.

A new complaints and redress procedure for tenants has also been introduced, and if landlords are seen to give a consistently poor performance – such as inadequate maintenance or unreasonable management of deposits – they could find themselves being removed from the register.

The OFT can issue warning orders or ban estate agents for offences including:

• offences involving fraud, other dishonesty or violence
• discriminating on the grounds of race or gender in the course of estate agency work
• engaging in residential estate agency work but failing to belong to an approved redress scheme, or
• failing to comply with the requirements of the law, or
• engaging in specified undesirable practices.

Mike Haley OFT Director of Consumer Protection said:

“Under the law, estate agents must ensure they act in the best interests of their clients and that both buyers and sellers are treated honestly, fairly and promptly. The online register gives consumers direct access to important information explaining where we have taken action against estate agents.”