Trading Standards

Use this guide to find out more about Lambeth’s Trading Standards service and how to make a consumer complaint.

Lettings and property agency work

The Trading Standards team have the authority to enforce:

Redress Scheme

The Order requires lettings and property management agents must join a government approved redress scheme. It provides clients and these businesses, i.e., both tenants and landlords, with a self-governing form of redress to resolve complaints. The schemes approved by government are:

  • The Property Ombudsman
  • The Property Redress Scheme
  • Ombudsmen Service (Property)

The Act requires letting agents and property management to display certain information in branch and on their website, including fees and other required information.

Client Money Protection Scheme (CMP)

Businesses that engage in letting agency or property management must join an approved client money protection scheme. They must display the certificate at the business premises as well as publish a copy on the business website.

Any business that fails to become a member of the scheme would face a monetary penalty notice of up to £30,000. Also, they may be liable for a further penalty notice of up to £5,000, for not displaying the certificate at the business premises.

Mandatory client money protection is intended to give landlords and tenants confidence that their money is safe when it is being handled by an agent. Where an agent is a member of a government approved Client Money Protection Scheme, it enables a tenant, landlord or both to be compensated if all or part of their money is not paid.

Display of fees

Letting agents are required to indicate the fees, charges, and penalties payable to landlords and/or letting agent by their clients under contracts for:

  • introducing tenants to landlords with available accommodation for rent
  • arranging assured tenancy agreements
  • the management of rental properties

Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES)

Landlords of privately rented domestic and non-domestic properties in England must ensure that their properties reach at least an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of E before granting a new tenancy to new or existing tenants.

These requirements will apply to all private rented properties and, even where there has been no change in tenancy arrangements.

Penalties of up to £5,000 may be imposed for breaching the minimum energy efficiency standard rules.

The Council’s Trading Standards team are authorised to enforce this law and failure to meet the required standards would result being issued with a maximum penalty notice of £5,000 for each branch or website found to be in breach. Any business that has multiple branches and a website can be subject to multiple penalty notices for each of them found to be in breach.

The Trading Standards team takes its role seriously in ensuring that tenants in Lambeth are safeguarded and provided the protection they are prescribed in law. It is therefore vital for businesses in Lambeth to ensure that they are meeting the standards expected of them in the Order and the Act, as well as all other relevant legislation.

If you are a business in Lambeth and wish to find out more on how to ensure your, business is complying with legislation concerning lettings and property agency work, you will find the following links useful:

Appealing a Notice of Intent or Final Notice

As a business it is your responsibility to ensure you are compliant with all relevant legislation, and seek legal advice as required. If you have been issued with a Notice of Intent or a Final Notice in relation to breaches of the Order or the Act, the Notice will explain the process for appeal.

Lambeth’s contact centre cannot assist or advise on appeals.

Information for Lambeth tenants and residents 

If you are concerned about a business, report your concerns to the Citizens Advice Consumer Services. You can report information anonymously and Citizens Advice Consumer Services will notify the relevant Trading Standards service to investigate.

You can also find information on your rights as a tenant on the housing section of this website.

Lambeth Enforcement Policy

In addition to the Trading Standards Enforcement Policy linked below, we have produced Lettings Enforcement Policy to provide guidance and the approach when dealing with non-compliant.