Letting agent ignoring you? What to do, step by step

Emails go unanswered. Repairs drift. Statements arrive late, or not at all. When a letting agent goes quiet, it's tempting to give it another week. But you're paying for a service, the agent is holding your money, and your legal duties as a landlord don't pause while you wait.

Here's how to get a response, how to complain so it counts, where to escalate, and how to tell when it's time to move on.

Why silence is a bigger problem than it looks

• Repairs are still your responsibility. Using an agent doesn't move your repairing duties. A tenant who can't get a repair done can go to the council, which can take action against you, not the agent.
• The agent is holding your money. Rent sits in the agent's client account until it's paid to you. Agents who hold client money must belong to a client money protection scheme, so check which one, and keep every statement.
• Deadlines keep running. Gas safety checks are due every year, pet requests need an answer within 28 days, and rent increases need the right form and notice. Missed deadlines can mean fines, and they're yours.

Step 1: put it in writing

Stop calling and email the branch manager, not just your usual contact. List what's outstanding, what you need, and a reasonable deadline, such as five working days. Keep a log of every chase, with dates.

A written request does two jobs. It gives a decent agent a clear list to act on, and it starts the paper trail you'll need if this turns into a complaint.

Step 2: use the agent's complaints procedure

Every letting agent in England must belong to a government-approved redress scheme, either The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme, and should have a written complaints procedure. Ask for it, then make a formal complaint under it.

Most procedures promise an acknowledgement within a few days and a written response within a few weeks. If the first reply doesn't fix things, ask for the agent's final response, sometimes called a final viewpoint.

Step 3: escalate to the redress scheme

If the agent hasn't resolved your complaint within eight weeks, or you're unhappy with its final response, you can take it to the agent's redress scheme for free. The Property Ombudsman, for example, expects you to refer a complaint within 12 months of the agent's final response, and can award compensation.

If the agent belongs to a professional body such as Propertymark, you can also complain about a breach of its conduct rules.

Step 4: check your way out

While the complaint runs, dig out your terms of business. Look for the notice period, any exit fee, and any clause that keeps charging commission after you leave. Our guide to exit fees and ongoing commission explains which clauses may not bind you.

If the agent has seriously failed to do what you pay for, such as not passing on your rent, you may be able to end the contract without serving the full notice. Take legal advice before you rely on that.

Step 5: plan the switch

Switching mid-tenancy is routine. Your tenant stays put; only the agent changes. The order matters, though: protect the deposit with the new agent before any money moves, tell your tenant in a letter signed by you, and get the full tenancy file back. Our 12-week switching plan and handover checklist walk you through it.

One exception: if a possession claim is under way, think hard before switching mid-claim, and keep the same solicitor on the record.

Signs it's time to go

• Rent reaches you late, or statements don't add up
• Certificates have lapsed, or you can't get copies
• Your tenant tells you repairs aren't being done
• Nobody can tell you who manages your property
• You pay more than local agents charge for the same job: see what letting agents charge

This guide covers England and is general information, not legal advice. It was checked in October 2026.