What is The Property Ombudsman and what protection does it give sellers?

How do you verify that a cash buyer is TPO registered?

Go to tpos.co.uk and search for the company by name. Every current TPO member is listed on the register. If the company you are researching does not appear, they are not registered — regardless of what their website says or what logos they display.

It is worth doing this search before you have any substantive conversation with a cash buyer. A company that is genuinely TPO registered will encourage you to verify it. If a company is evasive about their registration details, or claims to be covered by a different, unfamiliar scheme, treat that as a significant warning sign.

You should also check NAPB membership at napb.co.uk at the same time. The combination of both – NAPB membership and TPO registration – gives you the fullest conduct framework available in the cash buying sector.

What TPO cannot do

It is worth being clear about the limits of the scheme, so your expectations are calibrated correctly.

TPO cannot force a company to proceed with a property sale. If a buyer withdraws from a transaction before exchange, TPO can investigate whether that withdrawal breached the Code of Practice, but it cannot compel the buyer to complete.

TPO cannot set or override a cash offer. If you believe the offer you received was too low, that is a commercial disagreement, not a Code breach. TPO deals with conduct: how the offer was communicated, whether it was put in writing, whether it was reduced without justification.

TPO cannot act against a company that is not registered. This is why checking registration before you engage matters, once you are deep into a transaction with an unregistered buyer, TPO has no jurisdiction over them.

H2: Why TPO registration matters more than website trust signals

Any company can display logos, customer testimonials, and trust badges on their website. These are not independently verifiable at a glance. TPO registration is different: it is a live register, publicly searchable, updated in real time. If a company is on it, they are covered. If they are not, they are not, whatever their marketing materials say.

This is why the advice to check tpos.co.uk directly, rather than taking a company’s word for their registration, is consistent and important. In a sector where some operators have historically made misleading claims about their credentials, the register is the only source of truth that cannot be faked.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Property Ombudsman?

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) is an independent redress scheme that provides free dispute resolution for consumers involved in property transactions. If something goes wrong in a transaction with a TPO-registered company and the company cannot resolve the complaint directly within eight weeks, you can escalate to TPO for an independent investigation. TPO can require companies to change their conduct and, where appropriate, award compensation. It is free for consumers to use and independent of the companies it covers.

Does The Property Ombudsman cover cash house buyers

Yes, but only those who are registered with TPO. Registration is required for all members of the National Association of Property Buyers, but it is not a legal requirement for all cash buyers. This means an unregistered cash buyer is not covered by TPO, and if something goes wrong in that transaction, you have no independent redress route through the scheme. Always check that a cash buyer is TPO registered before proceeding — you can verify this directly at tpos.co.uk.

How do I make a complaint to The Property Ombudsman?

The first step is always to raise the complaint directly with the company involved. Under TPO rules, companies must acknowledge a complaint within three working days and provide a full written response within fifteen working days. If your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction within eight weeks of first raising it, you can then escalate to TPO. You will need to submit your complaint in writing, with supporting evidence, via the TPO website at tpos.co.uk. The service is free for consumers.

What can The Property Ombudsman actually do?

TPO can investigate your complaint, require the company to take specific action, and award compensation where it finds the company acted in breach of the Code of Practice. The maximum compensation award is £25,000. TPO cannot force a company to proceed with a property sale, change a valuation, or set a price — it deals with conduct rather than commercial terms. But for complaints about misleading conduct, offer reductions without justification, or breaches of the Code, it is a meaningful and enforceable route.

What is the TPO Code of Practice?

The TPO Code of Practice sets out the conduct standards that all registered members must follow. For cash buyers, it covers areas including marketing honesty — companies must not misrepresent their status as direct buyers if they are actually brokers — offer transparency, written confirmation of offers, fair treatment of sellers, and complaints handling. Breaches of the Code are the basis on which TPO can investigate and award compensation. The Code is publicly available on the TPO website.

Is SmoothSale registered with The Property Ombudsman?

Yes. SmoothSale is registered with The Property Ombudsman and is also a member of the National Association of Property Buyers. Both can be verified directly: TPO registration at tpos.co.uk, NAPB membership at napb.co.uk. SmoothSale’s legal entity is PLH Capital Limited, company number 13115021, registered in England and Wales. We encourage every seller we speak to to verify our credentials directly before making any decision.