Five property firms — three estate agents and two letting agents — have been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) for failing to comply with binding compensation awards made in favour of consumers. The disciplinary action follows a series of upheld complaints involving misleading sales claims, withheld tenant funds, and a failure to follow basic industry procedures. These latest cases bring the total number of agents expelled from The Property Ombudsman scheme so far in 2025 to nine…

Prime Property Agents: £7,400 award after failed sale

Nottingham-based Prime Property Agents was instructed to refund a £7,200 reservation fee to a buyer after a transaction fell through. The agency failed to offer any suitable alternative properties as promised in its terms and conditions. A further £200 was added for the distress caused, bringing the total award to £7,400.

Cowlings: Misleading cash buyer claim

In Bideford, Devon, Cowlings Estate Agents confirmed a buyer was purchasing in cash. The sellers later discovered the buyer was seeking finance. After renegotiated terms failed, the sale collapsed. The TPO awarded the sellers £1,087 for avoidable costs linked to the deal’s breakdown.

Nexmove: Another failure to verify funds

Nexmove (trading as NXMVETGN Ltd) in Teignmouth, Devon, told sellers their buyer was a cash purchaser. No checks were made. When the sale collapsed, the Ombudsman found that the agent had not taken reasonable steps to verify funding and awarded £400.

The Jolly Landlord: Rent and deposit not passed on

Lettings agency The Jolly Landlord in Bulphan, Essex, failed to transfer a tenant’s deposit and first month’s rent to the landlord. This led to the breakdown of the management relationship and a request to end the tenancy. While the tenancy remained legally active, the Ombudsman awarded £350 to the tenant for stress and inconvenience.

Lilypad Estates: Eight months of rent unpaid

In a separate case, Lilypad Estates in Forest Hill failed to pass on eight months of rent to a landlord and ceased all communication. The Ombudsman upheld all elements of the complaint, awarding £200 in compensation and ordering the rent to be repaid.

“Expulsion is always a last resort,” says Ombudsman

Commenting on the decisions, Interim Ombudsman Lesley Horton said:

“Expulsion is always a last resort. We aim to work with agents to help them resolve complaints and improve their practices. However, when agents fail to comply with decisions, we have no choice but to remove them from the scheme.”

She added that 99% of agents do comply with Ombudsman decisions — underlining how rare these sanctions are in proportion to the overall caseload.

Compliance action and broader trends

All five expelled businesses have now been reported to both local and national Trading Standards, and major property portals have been notified.

In its latest annual report, The Property Ombudsman revealed that it received over 73,000 consumer contacts in 2024 — a 27% increase on the previous year. Awards totalled £1.5 million, with lettings and sales generating the highest volumes of complaints.

Let us Assist you

Work with London’s trusted leader in property inventories, delivering fast, precise, and award-winning reports. We set the benchmark for accuracy and professionalism in property reporting, with a full suite of services tailored to landlords, agents, and developers. Explore our services or contact us to find out how we can support your property needs. We’re also the only property inventory company to offer a full money-back guarantee — because we’re confident you won’t need it.