Professional Standards
& Client Protection
At Arden Way, we believe that choosing a property agent should come with confidence and peace of mind. We are committed to operating professionally, transparently and responsibly, with appropriate safeguards in place to protect our landlords, tenants and clients.
As part of this commitment, we belong to recognised industry schemes that provide independent protection, accountability and support.
The Property Ombudsman
Arden Way is a member of The Property Ombudsman (TPO), a government-approved redress scheme providing consumers with access to an independent and impartial dispute resolution service.
The scheme provides additional reassurance to our clients by offering an independent route for reviewing complaints that have been through our internal complaints procedure but have not been resolved.
Where appropriate, The Property Ombudsman can make awards to resolve a dispute in accordance with the scheme’s terms.
Our Property Ombudsman membership number is TO1259
SAFEagent Client Money Protection
Arden Way is also a member of SAFEagent and is covered by its Client Money Protection Scheme.
Client Money Protection, commonly known as CMP, provides important financial protection for landlords and tenants when money is held by a letting or property management agent. This can include rent and other client funds held by the agent.
In England, letting and property management agents that hold client money are legally required to belong to a government-approved Client Money Protection scheme.
Our SAFEagent membership demonstrates that appropriate protection is in place for the client money we handle and provides an additional level of reassurance when choosing Arden Way to manage your property or tenancy.
Our SAFEagent membership number is: A8467
Our Commitment to You
Professional standards are about more than meeting our legal obligations. We want our clients to feel confident that they are dealing with a responsible property agent that takes its duties seriously.
We are committed to:
- Treating landlords, tenants and clients fairly and professionally
- Providing clear and transparent information about our services
- Protecting client money in accordance with applicable requirements
- Maintaining appropriate professional memberships and protections
- Providing a clear procedure for raising and resolving complaints
- Complying with relevant legislation and industry requirements
- Continually reviewing our practices to maintain high standards of service
Complaints & Independent Redress
We always aim to provide a professional and reliable service, but we recognise that there may be occasions when a client is unhappy with the service they have received.
If you have a concern, we encourage you to contact us in the first instance so that we have the opportunity to investigate and resolve the matter through our complaints procedure.
Where a complaint cannot be resolved through our internal process, eligible complaints may be referred to The Property Ombudsman for independent review.
Read Our Complaints Procedure
At Arden & Way, we are committed to providing a professional, reliable and transparent service to all of our clients and customers. We take pride in the standard of service we provide, but recognise that there may be occasions when you feel that we have not met the standards you expected.
If you have a concern or complaint, we encourage you to let us know as soon as possible. We take all complaints seriously and will aim to resolve matters fairly, promptly and professionally.
Raising a Complaint
In the first instance, we recommend raising your concern with the member of the Arden & Way team who has been dealing with your property, tenancy or enquiry. Many issues can be resolved quickly through direct communication.
If the matter cannot be resolved informally, or you would prefer to make a formal complaint, please put your complaint in writing and provide as much information as possible about your concerns.
This should include details of the issue, any relevant dates or correspondence and, where appropriate, how you would like the matter to be resolved.
Formal complaints should be addressed to:
Jessica Way, Director
Arden & Way Ltd
120 Elm Grove
Hayling Island
Hampshire
PO11 9EH
What Happens Next?
We will acknowledge your written complaint within 3 working days of receiving it.
Your complaint will then be properly investigated. Wherever possible, the investigation will be undertaken by a senior member of the team or designated complaint handler who has not been directly involved in the matter being complained about.
We aim to provide you with a formal written response setting out the outcome of our investigation within 15 working days of receiving your original complaint.
If, due to exceptional circumstances, we are unable to provide a full response within this timeframe, we will keep you informed and explain the reason for the delay.
Further Review
If you remain dissatisfied following our initial response, you may ask for your complaint to be reviewed further.
Where possible, this review will be carried out separately by a senior member of the business who has not been directly involved in the original matter or investigation.
We will aim to provide the outcome of this further review in writing within 15 working days.
Once our internal complaints procedure has been completed, we will provide you with our final viewpoint in writing. This will explain Arden & Way’s final position regarding the matters you have raised and will include details of any proposed resolution or offer, where applicable.
The Property Ombudsman
If you remain dissatisfied after receiving our final viewpoint, you may be entitled to refer your complaint to The Property Ombudsman (TPO) for an independent review.
The Property Ombudsman provides an impartial dispute resolution service for consumers and property businesses that are members of its scheme.
Any referral to The Property Ombudsman must normally be made within 12 months of the date of our final viewpoint letter and will be subject to The Property Ombudsman’s scheme rules and jurisdiction.
Arden & Way Ltd is a member of The Property Ombudsman.
Membership Number: TO1259
Further information about the complaints process and how to refer a complaint can be found on The Property Ombudsman website.
[Visit The Property Ombudsman]
Our Commitment
We view complaints as an important opportunity to review the service we provide and identify where improvements can be made.
All complaints will be treated seriously, fairly and professionally. We will maintain appropriate records of complaints received and will always aim to reach a reasonable resolution wherever possible.
Your Money, Property and Interests Matter
Entrusting an agent with your property, tenancy or money is an important decision. Our memberships, client money protection and commitment to professional standards are there to provide greater transparency and reassurance throughout your relationship with Arden Way.
If you would like further information about any of our professional memberships, policies or procedures, please contact our team.