An investigation by website specialists ThemeSmith uncovered that over one-third of letting agent platforms across England fail to provide fee details. Their review of 400 property management sites discovered that 138 businesses, accounting for 34.5%, offered no fees page, no accessible link to fees, and made no reference to charges on their entire site.
Additionally, 151 firms, or 37.8% of those assessed, omitted explicit fee breakdowns for both tenants and landlords, excluding VAT amounts. Legal requirements under Section 83 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 mandate that letting agents must publicly list all fees, including VAT, both at physical offices where client interactions occur and on their websites. These disclosures must also confirm whether the agent maintains client money protection and specify their redress scheme. Local councils oversee enforcement, with fines up to £5,000 possible per violation.
The study further identified that 99 agents did not disclose their redress scheme, while 123 failed to mention any client money protection arrangement. Among the 277 agents that did name a protection scheme, 101 neglected to publish a copy of their certification.
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Chris Painter, ThemeSmith’s founder, commented: “For landlords and tenants, a letting agent’s website is typically where they first verify financial safeguards. Current regulations clearly outline what must be visible: fees with VAT, the redress scheme, and a copy of the client money protection certificate.”
ThemeSmith clarified that the findings reflect only observable website content and do not constitute legal determinations. No specific agents were identified, yet the data shows widespread non-compliance within the lettings industry, raising concerns about consumer protections and broader fee transparency in property services.