Arla - Complaints About Member

[Reluctant Heretic]

Hi, I am thinking about taking a complaint about a letting agent to ARLA. This is the only option left to me as I can't afford to risk losing a case at court and the LA didn't join Property Ombudsman until just recently. My impression of ARLA to date is that they are a stuck up bunch of stuffed shirt-misogynists who couldn't give a toss about tenants (particularly female ones!) although I haven't had any personal contact. Therefore has anyone got any experience or anecdotal evidence that would put ARLA in a different light? Anyone from ARLA out there? I would love to be proved wrong.

(My complaint has to do with agent lying to TPS in order to retain deposit. I never expected this and I would have supplied evidence to prove that they were lying if I had seen this coming - but what can one do unless one has money to burn on solicitors?)

[Bloo Loo]

Hi, I am thinking about taking a complaint about a letting agent to ARLA. This is the only option left to me as I can't afford to risk losing a case at court and the LA didn't join Property Ombudsman until just recently. My impression of ARLA to date is that they are a stuck up bunch of stuffed shirt-misogynists who couldn't give a toss about tenants (particularly female ones!) although I haven't had any personal contact. Therefore has anyone got any experience or anecdotal evidence that would put ARLA in a different light? Anyone from ARLA out there? I would love to be proved wrong.

(My complaint has to do with agent lying to TPS in order to retain deposit. I never expected this and I would have supplied evidence to prove that they were lying if I had seen this coming - but what can one do unless one has money to burn on solicitors?)

I complained to ARLA.

had an email form them after my third letter telling me they very busy and looking into my complaint.

they are an association for LAs, and dont care about you at all. Its a bit like complaining to the BBA about banks..they are a mouthpiece, nothing more.

The TPS also doesnt follow the rules as set out in the Magistrates court... they make assumptions...as they did in my case, and the assumption in my case was that if I nor the agent provided evidence, then they assumed something done was correct...in my case, a value for an inspection, although I did provide a quote by a third party, but apparently the time taken to do a job had no bearing on the cost, which was my argument.

I should have followed up at Magistrates where EVIDENCE is king.

[Reluctant Heretic]

I complained to ARLA.

had an email form them after my third letter telling me they very busy and looking into my complaint.

they are an association for LAs, and dont care about you at all. Its a bit like complaining to the BBA about banks..they are a mouthpiece, nothing more.

The TPS also doesnt follow the rules as set out in the Magistrates court... they make assumptions...as they did in my case, and the assumption in my case was that if I nor the agent provided evidence, then they assumed something done was correct...in my case, a value for an inspection, although I did provide a quote by a third party, but apparently the time taken to do a job had no bearing on the cost, which was my argument.

I should have followed up at Magistrates where EVIDENCE is king.

Many thanks for your reply it was very helpful. You confirmed my suspicions and it sounds as if your experience was very similar to mine. No wonder so many letting agents have little respect for the law - who is going to take them to task?