Letting agents
What letting agent tribunal decisions in Scotland show
General information, not legal advice. Last checked 31 Oct 2026. Sources are linked under each section.
Of the 261 letting-agent cases at the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) whose index entry lists the Code of Practice sections in issue, 182 (70%) cite Section 5, Management and maintenance. 180 (69%) cite Section 7, Communications and resolving complaints. In our count, repairs and communication are the two areas raised most often.
Data note: this is Lorework's own count from the tribunal's public decisions index, taken on 31 Oct 2026 from all 357 rows of the index. Where the index lists the same case reference more than once, it is counted once. A case counts as listing Code sections if any of its rows names at least one section in the Code Complaint(s) column, and shares are of those cases, rounded to the nearest whole per cent.
The numbers
| Measure | Count | Share of 261 |
|---|---|---|
| Letting-agent cases in the index | 335 | — |
| Cases listing Code sections in issue | 261 | 100% |
| Cite Section 5 (Management and maintenance) | 182 | 70% |
| Cite Section 7 (Communications and resolving complaints) | 180 | 69% |
A case can cite several sections, so the shares overlap and don't add up to 100%.
Method
- Source: the Housing and Property Chamber's public letting-agents decisions index.
- We counted every letting-agent case listed, counting each case reference once: 335.
- We kept the 261 whose index entry names the Code sections in issue. The other 74 were left out of the shares.
- We counted the cases citing Section 5 and Section 7.
- "Cites" means the section is listed as in issue. It does not mean a breach was found. We did not read outcomes.
Limitations: index-level data only. We did not analyse outcomes, dates or orders, and the counts will change as decisions are added.
What Section 5 and Section 7 require
From Section 5, Management and maintenance: - Para 90: "Repairs must be dealt with promptly and appropriately having regard to their nature and urgency and in line with your written procedures." - Para 91: "You must inform the tenant of the action you intend to take on the repair and its likely timescale." - Para 93: "If there is any delay in carrying out the repair and maintenance work, you must inform the landlords, tenants or both as appropriate about this along with the reason for it as soon as possible."
From Section 7, Communications and resolving complaints: - Para 108: "You must respond to enquiries and complaints within reasonable timescales. Overall, your aim should be to deal with enquiries and complaints as quickly and fully as possible and to keep those making them informed if you need more time to respond."
What agencies can take from it
- Write the repairs procedure down, with target timescales (para 86). See Code of Practice repairs as a workflow.
- Tell the tenant the action and the likely timescale every time (para 91).
- Give a reason with every delay, as soon as possible (para 93). See repair update email templates.
- Reply to enquiries and complaints within reasonable timescales, and say so if you need more time (para 108).
- For damp and mould, follow the Awaab's Law workflow.
How Lorework helps
Lorework follows your repairs and complaints procedures. It drafts the action-and-timescale messages and delay notices, sends them by email, chat or SMS after your approval, keeps follow-ups on a schedule, and keeps a clear record of what was done and when.
Lorework for letting agents in Scotland
Questions
What is a letting agent enforcement order?
If the Tribunal decides a letting agent has failed to comply with the Code, it must make a letting agent enforcement order (LAEO). The order requires the agent to take the action the tribunal considers necessary to put the failure right and, where appropriate, to make a payment to the applicant. The LAEO must state the period for doing so. Failing to comply with an LAEO without reasonable excuse is a criminal offence.
Who can apply to the tribunal about a letting agent?
A tenant, a landlord or the Scottish Ministers. The applicant must first notify the letting agent in writing of why they think the agent has failed to comply with the Code.
Does "cited" mean the agent lost?
No. In our count, "cites" means the section is listed as in issue in the index. We did not read outcomes.
Can I check the data?
Yes. The decisions index is public on the Housing and Property Chamber website, and our method is set out on this page.
See your own process run on time
Book a 30-minute demo, Monday to Friday, 08:00 to 18:30 UK time.