Appeal against a fine as a letting or managing agent
How to appeal against a fine for not being a member of an approved complaints scheme or publicising your fees.
Applies to England
What you can appeal against
You can be fined up to £5,000 if you let or manage property for a living and haven’t:
- signed up to a complaints scheme
- published or displayed a list of your fees
- fitted a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm in a property
You can appeal to a tribunal if you think the fine is unfair, too big or a mistake.
You won’t have to pay the fine until the tribunal has decided on your case.
The tribunal
Your case will be dealt with by a tribunal in the General Regulatory Chamber.
The tribunal is independent of the government, and will consider both sides before it reaches a decision.
If you or your representative is outside the UK and wants to give live video or audio evidence, contact the tribunal to request it. Tell the tribunal what country you or the representative is in and what type of evidence is being given. You must do this as soon as possible.
Time limits for appealing
You have 28 days to appeal after the council or trading standards office sends you its final notice.
If you miss the time limit, you can ask for more time to appeal. The tribunal will decide if it can still take your case.
How to appeal
Complete the relevant General Regulatory Chamber (First-tier Tribunal) form.
Clearly say why you want to appeal against the decision.
Include any supporting documents, like the council’s final notice.
Send the form to grc@justice.gov.uk or:
General Regulatory Chamber
HM Courts & Tribunals Service
PO Box 9300
Leicester
LE1 8DJ
Telephone: 0300 123 4504
Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm
Find out about call charges
Tribunal staff can explain how the process works, but they cannot give you legal advice.
What happens next
The tribunal will write to you about the next steps.
Find out more about General Regulatory Chamber hearings and decisions.
Legislation and rules
You have the right to appeal to the tribunal under:
- The Redress Schemes for Lettings Agency Work and Property Management Work (Requirement to Belong to a Scheme etc) (England) Order 2014
- schedule 9 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015
You can find detailed rules on how your appeal will be handled in the General Regulatory Chamber procedure rules.
Last updated 31 January 2024 + show all updates
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Updated the how to appeal section with a link to the General Regulatory Chamber (First-tier Tribunal) forms collection.
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Changed telephone number of the GRC
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Added details of fines for not publicising fees
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Minor change
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First published.