Housing industry considers need for property ombudsman

The new ‘property ombudsman’ would act as a single entity for any consumer requiring access to redress in the property sector, according to the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (Rics). Rics says the current structure of the industry presents consumers with a confusing array of alternatives if they wish to complain about professional property services. It says many different redress schemes cover the house buying, selling or letting processes. A national property ombudsman, argues Rics, would mean these schemes could continue, but they would work together to provide consumers with...