08 May 2019
FirstPort comments on the Communities Secretary Rt Hon James Brokenshire’s announcement that he is to set up a new Housing Complaints Resolution Service.
Nigel Howell, Chief Executive at FirstPort, said:
“It’s vital to give customers more confidence if we’re going to answer the many questions being asked about the leasehold system and other parts of the housing market. This new resolution service could play an important role if implemented effectively and alongside further reforms.
“Many of the legal protections customers need are already in place, but there’s little awareness of them and they’re only accessible through complex and expensive tribunal processes. Clearer rights of redress are important, but we also need to drive up standards in areas beyond handling complaints.
“As the UK’s largest property manager, we support measures to protect leaseholders including the regulation of managing agents, a unified code of practice, greater clarity around service changes and fees, and mandatory professional qualifications for agents – all measures now under consideration by government.”
