Property Redress has reported a 47% increase in complaint enquiries across the residential property sector in 2025, according to its annual report published this week. The scheme received 4,220 enquiries during the year, up from 2,863 in 2024, representing a 77% increase compared with 2023 figures.
Accepted cases were 41% higher by December than the previous year. Despite the rise in volumes, the average complaint rate per member remained just over 8%. Membership grew slightly to 19,051 firms from 18,799 in 2024, whilst 85 firms, approximately 0.4% of the total, were expelled for non-compliance.
Resolution times decrease
The average time to resolve complaints fell to 34 days from 39 days in 2024. In 2025, 53% of cases were resolved at the early resolution stage, up from 50% in 2024. A total of £273,310 was awarded through early settlements, a 40% increase on the previous year, whilst total awards across all stages reached £1,476,824.
The decline in formal awards compared with 2024 reflects a higher proportion of disputes being settled earlier in the process. Appeals remained infrequent, with the fall in formal decisions corresponding to more cases being resolved through early communication.
Complaint categories
In the lettings sector, disputes most frequently relate to holding deposits, standards of service and management, and tenancy payments and rent collection. Sales complaints commonly concern duty of care and allegations of misleading information, as well as disputes over instructions, terms of business and commission. Marketing and advertising practices also feature regularly.
In property management and leasehold, complaints continue to focus on service standards, maintenance issues and the provision of documentation. The report notes sustained pressure in the rental market, increased attention to material information requirements in sales transactions and ongoing tensions in leasehold management.
Market context
The report places these trends within a wider economic and legislative backdrop, noting subdued economic performance, proposed reforms affecting the rental and leasehold sectors and greater scrutiny of transparency and compliance. Whilst sales transaction levels remained relatively stable, market uncertainty contributed to rising levels of dissatisfaction.
Property Redress’s advisory and member panels, which include representatives from agency, landlord, legal, compliance, Trading Standards and proptech sectors, considered the implications of the Renters’ Rights Act, leasehold and freehold reform proposals and other statutory changes during 2025.
Sean Hooker, head of redress at Property Redress, 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.”
Hooker added that communication remains critical, noting that where agents are transparent, proactive and responsive at an early stage, disputes are more likely to be resolved quickly. He stated that maintaining clear processes, accurate documentation and open dialogue will be essential as further reform takes effect.
The increase in complaint volumes comes as the sector faces implementation challenges related to forthcoming legislative changes, with some concerns that parts of the sector may not yet be fully prepared, potentially increasing the risk of complaints where processes are not updated.
