Fact sheet: Client Money Protection for letting and managing agents

Property agents must obtain a certificate confirming membership of an approved Client Money Protection (CMP) scheme and meet specific in-branch and online display requirements to comply with the law. Breaches can result in civil penalties of up to £5,000.

This decade has presented a near total transformation of the property sector with reduced confidence and supply, economic and interest rate uncertainty, dramatic changes in the conduct of consumers, new expectations among the workforce and the introduction of AI, the consequences of which are still being understood. As the only professional body dedicated to supporting sales, lettings, commercial agents, and auctioneers, Propertymark has reassessed not only the services we offer, but the whole structure of membership.

Being a letting agent or an estate agent with a letting portfolio demands juggling numerous responsibilities, from property management and tenant relations to day-to-day operations, plus the perpetual quest for new business. However, amidst these demands, being on top of client accounting is paramount.

A consultation launched by HM Treasury could be the catalyst for change in the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2019 and end the ongoing problem of access to appropriate banking services for letting agents, which is the result of banks failing to properly understand how client money protection and anti-money laundering apply to unregulated firms.