No agent wants to be the subject of a complaint to the Ombudsman.
So what are the most common causes of complaint?
At the last ALRA conference the Ombudsman identified the following to be the main subject areas of a complaint:
– referencing: the reference on a potential tenant has been lacking and problems with the tenant have then ensued.
– holding deposits: deposits taken by an agent to hold a property for the tenant. Unreasonably large deposits being withheld when the potential tenant changes their mind on a tenancy
– tenants damage
– Pre-contract conditions: agent agreeing to things without the landlord’s consent.
The Ombudsman also identified 4 simple things that an agent can do to help reduce complaints:
1. Better communication with tenant/landlord and understanding of needs
2. Transparency on fees
3. Keep good records of conversation etc
4. Deal with expressions of dissatisfaction constructively and swiftly
All sounds like common sense but may be a useful insight from the Property Ombudsman and never hurts to be reminded.
We have seen many professional indemnity claims that could have been easily avoided by nothing more complicated than better communication!
