Sun Properties Leicester, which was recently excluded from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme after failing to pay an outstanding award of £3,220.14, appears to be trading under a new name.

The website of Sun Properties Leicester remains active but has limited information on it and the phone number is no longer in service. However, TPO has identified a linked company called Sunrise Properties Leicester which shares the same partners as Sun Properties Leicester and, up until December 2020, appeared to be trading via Facebook.

Sunrise Properties Leicester also attempted to join The Property Ombudsman.

As part of TPO’s process, notification of this expulsion has been shared with all relevant bodies, including both Local and National Trading Standards.

Gerry Fitzjohn, Non-Executive Director and Chairman of TPO’s Finance Committee: “As a member of TPO, agents are obliged to fulfil direction and comply with awards made by the Ombudsman, which Sun Properties Leicester failed to do.

“There were several fallings on the part of the agent from the outset of this tenancy and the complainants should have received an award to compensate for this. Whilst this is extremely frustrating for these landlords, we would highlight the point that of the thousands of awards made by TPO in consumers’ favour every year, less than 2% go unpaid. Most agents will fulfil their obligation to pay an award made by TPO.

“This is why it is imperative that consumers always use an agent which is a member of a redress scheme [The Property Ombudsman or The Property Redress Scheme] and that holds Client Money Protection.”