Residential estate agents in the UK who have been given warnings or been banned from working are being named and shamed in a new online register for the first time.
The public blacklist has been launched by the Office of Fair Trading and allows consumers to search whether the OFT has taken action, under the Estate Agents Act 1979, against individual estate agents or agencies who have broken the law .
The information provided on the online register will give people better knowledge of the history of an agency before they commit to using their services.
Launched on Monday, the register will also allow them to report any suspected breaches of an existing warning or prohibition order by an agent to the OFT.
The OFT can issue warning orders or seek to ban estate agents that have committed certain specified offences, such as fraud, violence, discrimination on the grounds of race or gender, or operating in residential estate agency work without belonging to an approved redress scheme.
Mike Haley, OFT Director of Consumer Practice, said: "Under the law, estate agents must ensure they act in the best interests of their clients and that buyers and sellers are treated honestly, fairly and promptly."
"The online register gives consumers direct access to important information explaining where we have taken action against estate agents ."
Paul Shamplina of Landlord Action commented: "This is great news for the industry as there is no doubt that there are an increasing number of agents that the public should be warned about."
He added that the register also applies to lettings agents across Britain.
"We are currently acting for a number of landlords who have become victims of lettings agents that have been instructed in good faith but have let them down by withholding rent for their personal gain and we are receiving daily complaints and requests from landlords who need assistance with debt collection from these agents," he said.
"I would urge any landlord who has fallen foul of such an agent to contact the OFT to make sure they are put on this register."
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