Guidance

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:

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:

You can find detailed rules on how your appeal will be handled in the General Regulatory Chamber procedure rules.

Updates to this page

Published 24 February 2015
Last updated 31 January 2024 + show all updates
  1. Updated the how to appeal section with a link to the General Regulatory Chamber (First-tier Tribunal) forms collection.

  2. Changed telephone number of the GRC

  3. Added details of fines for not publicising fees

  4. Minor change

  5. First published.

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