TPOS Complaints: Successful?

mattp1985

Okay I won't go into too much detail as it is a very long story, but let's just say my letting agent has done an appalling job of maintaining my apartment in an efficient manner and I feel incredibly ripped off.

I've therefore taken my complaint to The Property Ombudsman to have them look into it.

After detailing everything over the phone they seemed happy to help and asked for me to email over my complaint + correspondence that I've had with the agent.

3 weeks have passed and unfortunately they haven't had chance to look into matters. But even when they do, and even if they try to get me compensation, do TPOS even have any *real* powers to do anything?

I've read online that they have nothing to do with the government, and being a member of their scheme is completely optional.

Surely even *if* TPOS do say for the agent to compensate me then what would there be to stop the letting agent just leaving the TPOS scheme and refusing to pay up? I wouldn't be surprised if this was what happened, going by my experience with the agent so far.

As well as this, the letting agents have refused my requests to disclose the identity of my landlord and also protected my deposit 4 months late (as well as protecting it for £100 less than the amount I actually paid).

Would I be best just speaking to a solicitor instead? If so, what type of solicitor?

mart.vader

In my experience, TPOS are a toothless watch dog - even if they thought you had been wronged, they would say, they can't help.

They wouldn't want to upset a paying member of their scheme.

mattp1985

mart.vader wrote: »

In my experience, TPOS are a toothless watch dog - even if they thought you had been wronged, they would say, they can't help.

They wouldn't want to upset a paying member of their scheme.

I had a feeling that could be the case

Going by the examples in the case summaries on their website I'll probably be lucky to get just a couple of hundred pound for my troubles, that's if I get anything.

I personally feel as though I should get a good month or two's rent refunded to me for all the hassle I've had (at £600PCM). Needless to say it's highly unlikely I'd get anything close to that.

mattp1985

...as for my deposit however, could it be worth taking legal action over this? The fact they protected it 4 months late and protected it for £100 less than what I actually paid.

I spoke to one solicitor and he didn't seem interested at all, said it wouldn't be worth the costs involved. I get the impression he said this because he seems to work mostly with landlords and letting agencies however, so he *would* take their side wouldn't he

mart.vader

My own local district court's incompetence and eagerness to cover up their mistakes, make me very reluctant to advise anyone to take legal action.

Make your complaint and claim with TPOS, but don't be surprised if they mess about for a few months, and then tell you that they can't help. (that's their job)

If you decide, for example, to get a solicitor to write a stern letter to the LA, then DON'T use the solicitor you spoke to. Pick one that, at least, appears to be on your side.

In my experience, solicitors do not want to get involved, unless they can see a large pot of money at the end. They just want to get a couple of hundred pounds fee, for writing a couple of letters, and then move onto the next paying case.