Complaints Handling Procedurehow to tell us, and what we will do

Element Properties Alexandra Park Ltd (trading as Element Properties & Co.) is committed to delivering a professional, transparent and high-quality service. Where something has gone wrong, or where you are dissatisfied with the service you have received, we want to know about it and put it right.

This Procedure complies with the Code of Practice of The Property Redress Scheme, our government-approved redress scheme under the Redress Schemes for Lettings Agency Work and Property Management Work (Approval and Designation of Schemes) (England) Order 2013, and with such requirements as may be imposed by the Private Landlord Ombudsman established under Part 2 of the Renters’ Rights Act 2025 once that body is operational.

1Our commitment

We will handle every complaint:

• Promptly — we acknowledge within 3 working days and aim to resolve within 15 working days
• Fairly — we investigate objectively and give you a reasoned decision
• Accessibly — we accept complaints in any form and make reasonable adjustments as required by the Equality Act 2010
• Consistently — we apply this Procedure uniformly and keep records of outcomes for quality purposes
• Confidentially — we handle complaints in accordance with our Privacy Notice
• Without retaliation — raising a complaint will not adversely affect your tenancy, application or transaction

2Who can complain, and about what

2.1 Who can complain

• Landlords and prospective landlords
• Tenants, prospective tenants and guarantors
• Buyers and sellers of residential property
• Third parties directly affected by our services (for example, neighbours of a managed property)
• A duly authorised representative of any of the above

2.2 Scope

This Procedure applies to complaints about the services we provide in connection with residential sales, residential lettings, property management, and related services provided directly by Element.

2.3 Matters outside this Procedure

• Disputes between third parties in which we have no material involvement
• Matters that are the subject of active court or tribunal proceedings
• Complaints about a landlord’s or tenant’s conduct that do not involve our services — although we will refer you to the correct route (for example, The Property Redress Scheme, the First-tier Tribunal or the landlord directly)
• Disputes about tenancy deposits, which are handled under the rules of the relevant deposit-protection scheme

Where a complaint falls outside this Procedure we will tell you in writing, briefly explain why, and signpost the appropriate route. Our determination that a matter is out of scope does not prevent you from referring the matter to The Property Redress Scheme.

3What we treat as a complaint

We treat as a complaint any expression of dissatisfaction, however made, by or on behalf of a customer about the services we provide, where that dissatisfaction calls for a response.

You do not have to use the word “complaint” for us to treat it as one. If it is unclear whether a concern is intended as a complaint, we will ask you — we will not make that decision for you.

8Non-prejudice and records

8.1 Without prejudice

Statements made during the complaints process, including any offer of remedy or goodwill gesture, are made without prejudice to Element’s legal position and do not constitute an admission of liability unless expressly stated in writing to that effect.

8.2 Record-keeping

We keep records of all complaints, including the complaint, investigation, outcome and actions taken, in accordance with the retention periods in our Privacy Notice. Complaints data is used to monitor service quality, train staff and report to regulators and redress bodies where required.

9Referring your complaint to our redress scheme

You may refer your complaint to The Property Redress Scheme free of charge if either:

• We have issued our Final Viewpoint Letter, and you remain dissatisfied; or
• 8 weeks have passed since you first raised the complaint with us and it has not been resolved

9.1 The Property Redress Scheme

The Property Redress Scheme will consider your complaint once our internal procedure has been completed or the 8-week period has expired. Complaints must be referred within 12 months of the Final Viewpoint Letter. The Scheme may decline complaints that fall outside its jurisdiction, but will signpost you to the appropriate body.

9.2 Private Landlord Ombudsman

The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 provides for a new Private Landlord Ombudsman, expected to become operational in a later phase of the Act’s implementation. Once it is operational, and where it has jurisdiction over the subject of your complaint, we will include referral details in our Final Viewpoint Letter. Our membership (when it becomes a legal requirement) will be displayed on our website and in our offices.

9.3 Other routes

• For complaints about how we handle your personal data, you may complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (www.ico.org.uk, 0303 123 1113)
• For complaints about client-money handling, you may complain to Client Money Protect
• Nothing in this Procedure affects your right to take legal proceedings, but The Property Redress Scheme will not usually consider a complaint where court proceedings have already been started

10Unreasonable or vexatious behaviour

We take all complaints seriously and handle them fairly. In rare cases a complainant’s behaviour may be unreasonable — for example, abusive or threatening conduct towards staff, repeated submission of the same complaint without any new evidence or material change, or unreasonable volumes of correspondence. Where this happens, we may:

• Limit the channels through which you contact us (for example, a single named contact or email address)
• Limit the volume or frequency of correspondence we will respond to
• Decline to respond to materially identical repeat complaints, while still responding to genuinely new issues

Any such restriction will be proportionate, set out in writing, time-limited and reviewable. We will always tell you what restriction is being applied and why, and will confirm that it does not affect your right to refer the matter to The Property Redress Scheme.

11Confidentiality and data protection

We handle complaints in accordance with the Data Protection Legislation and our Privacy Notice. Information provided in connection with a complaint is used only for the purposes of investigating, resolving and recording that complaint, and for related regulatory, audit and quality purposes. Where we need to share information with a third party — for example a landlord, tenant, contractor or redress body — we will share only the minimum necessary.