Why We're Not Calm About Compliance
They want you to stay calm about compliance — while feeding Trading Standards and the CMA everything they need to fine, prosecute, and shut you down.
At Serious About Compliance, we think that’s unacceptable. We're not here to help regulators make examples of small businesses. We're here to make sure you're bulletproof before they even knock.
⚠️ What Non-Compliance Could Cost You
Here's what estate and letting agents in the UK are really up against:
- 💸 Up to £30,000 – for not displaying or publishing fees, redress scheme membership, or CMP details
- 🔒 £5,000 fixed penalty + unlimited fines – for trading without Client Money Protection (CMP)
- 🧾 Unlimited fines + prison – for failing to register with HMRC for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) supervision
- 🔍 £10,000+ fines – for missing or incomplete AML risk assessments, ID checks, or SAR failures
- 🧨 Criminal prosecution – for ongoing AML breaches or tipping off
- 👨⚖️ £300,000 or 10% of turnover – for breaches of consumer protection law (CMA / DMCC Act 2024)
- 🧠 £17.5 million or 4% of global turnover – for GDPR violations
- ❌ £1,000+ fixed penalties – for not joining a redress scheme
- 🌐 Domain takedowns & content bans – for misleading listings or fake reviews
Example: A small letting agency in London received:
- £12,000 in fines for not publishing tenant fees properly
- £5,000 for missing CMP
- £8,000 for AML paperwork gaps
- Threatened with criminal referral for data breaches
This happens every week across the UK.
🔍 What We’ll Offer
Serious About Compliance will offer full-spectrum, no-nonsense compliance audits and business optimisation services for estate and letting agents, including:
- Consumer protection audits under the DMCC Act 2024
- Client money & AML reviews in line with HMRC expectations
- GDPR & data protection checks to prevent ICO sanctions
- Full review of ASTs, lettings terms of business, and sales terms of business
- Updated and legally compliant documents drafted and delivered
- Business process audits with an aim to reduce time constraints using AI
- Cost efficiency reviews including insurance policies, subscriptions, and overheads
- Real-world guidance – no fluffy badges or theory, just what keeps you safe and saves you money