## Difficulties for Landlords Seeking Legal Advice Against Large Letting Agents

Landlords using the telephone advice service at Landlord Law have reported increasing difficulties in finding solicitors willing and able to act on their behalf when they have complaints against large national letting agents. The panel solicitors at Landlord Law are recognised as some of the best in landlord and tenant law, yet even they are encountering challenges in representing landlords in these cases.

The core issue is that large letting agencies often instruct a variety of different solicitors for their legal work and advice. This practice means that when landlords or other parties try to seek legal advice or representation concerning disputes with these agents, they struggle to find a solicitor firm that is not already acting for the letting agent in some capacity. This fragmentation of legal representation can create a barrier to landlords pursuing their complaints effectively.

## Increasing Consolidation and Regulatory Pressure

The problem is exacerbated by the ongoing consolidation within the national letting agency sector. As larger firms grow and absorb smaller agencies, their legal arrangements become more complex and widespread. At the same time, landlords face a growing need for high-quality legal advice due to increasing regulation in the private rented sector and the anticipated introduction of the Renters Rights Act 2025.

Given that landlord and tenant law is a specialised area, landlords with complex problems require expert legal representation. The difficulty in securing such representation when large letting agents use multiple solicitors could leave landlords at a disadvantage.

## Potential Implications: Shielding Against Legal Challenge?

There is a concern that large letting agents may be deliberately or inadvertently shielding themselves from legal challenge by engaging different solicitor firms for various issues. This practice could limit the pool of solicitors available to act against them, effectively protecting them from robust legal scrutiny.

If this is the case, it raises questions about fairness and access to justice for landlords. It also highlights the need for clearer guidance or solutions to ensure landlords can obtain impartial legal advice when disputes arise with large letting agencies.

## What This Means for Landlords

Landlords should be aware that pursuing complaints against large national letting agents might be more complicated due to the agents’ legal arrangements. It is important to seek specialist landlord and tenant solicitors early and to be prepared for potential difficulties in finding legal representation.

Landlords experiencing this issue are encouraged to share their experiences and seek advice on how best to navigate these challenges. Solicitor firms specialising in landlord and tenant law may also consider how to address this problem to ensure landlords’ access to justice is not impeded.

## Call for Feedback and Solutions

The Landlord Law Blog invites landlords and solicitor firms to share whether they have encountered similar difficulties and to suggest possible ways to overcome these barriers. Open dialogue may help identify practical solutions to ensure landlords can challenge large letting agents effectively.

Suggested internal link anchors

– landlord and tenant solicitors
– national letting agents
– Renters Rights Act 2025
– legal advice for landlords
– landlord complaints
– private rented sector regulation
– specialist landlord solicitors
– legal representation challenges
– landlord legal rights
– letting agent disputes

TLA update

TLA is launching a new Trusted Partners Hub in Q1 2026, featuring verified and approved service providers selected to support landlords, tenants, and property management businesses. We are inviting legal, trades, insurance, financial, mortgage, tenant screening, and other service providers to register their interest here: https://landlordassociation.org.uk/become-a-tla-service-partner/