UK Act of Parliament 1979 United Kingdom

Estate Agents Act 1979

An Act to make provision with respect to the carrying on of and to persons who carry on, certain activities in connection with the disposal and acquisition of interests in land; and for purposes connected therewith.

Read the Act on legislation.gov.uk (opens in a new tab)
Enforced by
Trading Standards
Status
Amended (in force with amendments)
Penalty ceiling
Prosecution 2 of 4 obligations carry an unlimited fine. 1 carries different penalties and 1 has no criminal penalty — flagged in the list below.

Does it bind you?

Business-side roles with duties under this instrument.

Any Person3 Client1

Other Acts binding the same actors

If a role above is yours, these are the other instruments that most often bind it.

Any Person — also bound by 2340 other Acts
Client — also bound by 62 other Acts

What it requires

Sections creating concrete business duties or carrying penalties, grouped as the instrument is structured. Titles link to the source text — blue means you’re leaving for legislation.gov.uk.

s.003 Orders prohibiting unfit persons from doing estate agency work. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Fail to comply with an order banning estate agency workAny Person

Unlimited fine

s.014 Keeping of client accounts. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Fail to keep client accounts and records properlyClient

Fine up to £2,500

s.016 Insurance cover for clients’ money. (opens in a new tab) Prosecution
  • Fail to comply with client money insurance requirementsAny Person

Unlimited fine

s.021 Transactions in which an estate agent has a personal interest. (opens in a new tab) Regulated
  • Disclose personal interest in land and do not accept deposits when you have a personal interestAny Person
38 other provisions — procedural and definitional
s.001 Estate agency work. (opens in a new tab)
s.002 Interests in land. (opens in a new tab)
s.004 Warning orders. (opens in a new tab)
s.005 Supplementary provisions as to orders under sections 3 and 4. (opens in a new tab)
s.006 Revocation and variation of orders under sections 3 and 4. (opens in a new tab)
s.007 Appeals. (opens in a new tab)
s.008 Register of orders (opens in a new tab)
s.009 Information for the lead enforcement authority (opens in a new tab)
s.009 Notice of convictions and judgments
s.010 Restriction on disclosure of information. (opens in a new tab)
s.011 Powers of entry and inspection. (opens in a new tab)
s.011 Failure to produce information
s.012 Meaning of “clients’ money” etc. (opens in a new tab)
s.013 Clients’ money held on trust or as agent. (opens in a new tab)
s.015 Interest on clients’ money. (opens in a new tab)
s.017 Exemptions from section 16. (opens in a new tab)
s.018 Information to clients of prospective liabilities. (opens in a new tab)
s.019 Regulation of pre-contract deposits outside Scotland. (opens in a new tab)
s.020 Prohibition of pre-contract deposits in Scotland. (opens in a new tab)
s.022 Standards of competence. (opens in a new tab)
s.023 Bankrupts not to engage in estate agency work. (opens in a new tab)
s.023 Redress schemes
s.023 Enforcement
s.023 Meaning of residential property
s.024 Supervision by Council on Tribunals. (opens in a new tab)
s.024 Lead enforcement authority
s.025 General duties of the lead enforcement authority (opens in a new tab)
s.026 Enforcement authorities. (opens in a new tab)
s.027 Obstruction and personation of authorised officers. (opens in a new tab)
s.028 General provisions as to offences. (opens in a new tab)
s.029 Service of notices etc. (opens in a new tab)
s.030 Orders and regulations. (opens in a new tab)
s.031 Meaning of “business associate” and “controller”. (opens in a new tab)
s.032 Meaning of “associate”. (opens in a new tab)
s.033 General interpretation provisions. (opens in a new tab)
s.034 Financial provisions. (opens in a new tab)
s.035 Scotland. (opens in a new tab)
s.036 Short title, commencement and extent. (opens in a new tab)
Schedules

Schedules

0 of 48 shown
48 other schedules
s.sch001 A person is not to be treated for the purposes...
s.sch001 A person shall be deemed to have committed discrimination for...
s.sch001 After the expiry of the period of five years beginning...
s.sch001 For the purposes of paragraphs 2 and 3 “discrimination” and...
s.sch001 In the application of paragraphs 2 to 4 above to...
s.sch001 In the application of paragraphs 2 to 4 above to...
s.sch002 In this Schedule— (a) subject to sub-paragraph (2) below, references...
s.sch002 (1) Subject to sub-paragraph (2) below, the order to which...
s.sch002 Any reference in this Part of this Schedule to an...
s.sch002 An application shall be in writing and be in such...
s.sch002 The lead enforcement authority may by notice require the applicant...
s.sch002 If an application does not comply with paragraph 12 above...
s.sch002 (1) The lead enforcement authority shall give to the person...
s.sch002 Where the lead enforcement authority receives notice under paragraph 2(3)(b)...
s.sch002 (1) In the course of the hearing of oral representations...
s.sch002 If the lead enforcement authority adjourns the hearing it shall...
s.sch002 (1) The lead enforcement authority shall take into account in...
s.sch002 If the lead enforcement authority decides not to proceed with...
s.sch002 If the lead enforcement authority decides to proceed with its...
s.sch002 (1) Notice of the decision to make the order, and...
s.sch003 A redress scheme may be approved for the purposes of...
s.sch003 The lead enforcement authority may withdraw approval of a redress...
s.sch003 Before withdrawing approval of a scheme, the lead enforcement authority...
s.sch003 The lead enforcement authority must give the scheme administrator a...
s.sch003 If the lead enforcement authority decides to withdraw approval of...
s.sch003 If the Secretary of State decides to revoke his designation...
s.sch003 For the purposes of the law relating to defamation, proceedings...
s.sch003 In this Schedule— “ redress scheme ” has the meaning...
s.sch003 (1) A scheme may not be approved unless the lead...
s.sch003 (1) In determining whether a scheme, or any provisions mentioned...
s.sch003 The lead enforcement authority must not approve a scheme unless...
s.sch003 The lead enforcement authority must not approve a scheme if...
s.sch003 An application for approval by the lead enforcement authority of...
s.sch003 Where the lead enforcement authority is proposing to refuse an...
s.sch003 If the lead enforcement authority decides to refuse an application...
s.sch003 The scheme administrator of a redress scheme which is approved...
s.sch004 A penalty charge notice given to a person under section...
s.sch004 Section 29 (service of notices etc. ) applies in relation...
s.sch004 The Secretary of State may by regulations make provision supplementary...
s.sch004 Any power to make regulations under this Schedule shall be...
s.sch004 The penalty charge specified in the notice shall be of...
s.sch004 (1) The period specified under paragraph 1(c) must not be...
s.sch004 The enforcement authority may, if they consider that the penalty...
s.sch004 (1) If, within the period specified under paragraph 1(c) (or...
s.sch004 (1) If after a review the penalty charge notice is...
s.sch004 If the penalty charge notice is withdrawn or quashed, the...
s.sch004 (1) The amount of the penalty charge is recoverable from...
s.sch004 In proceedings for the recovery of the penalty charge, a...

Help complying

Guvnor’s practical routes through this instrument.

3 more guides that reference this instrument
Real estate compliance checklist Run an estate agency: rules for selling property Which real estate rules apply to your business

Duty extraction and severity labels are Guvnor’s analysis of the instrument, not the instrument itself. Always verify against the linked source text.