Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by Property Industry Eye. Read the original article for full details.

Letting Agents Turn to AI to Manage AI-Generated Tenant Complaints

Letting agents are increasingly using artificial intelligence (AI) to help process tenant complaints that have themselves been generated by AI tools. This trend has been observed by members of ARLA Propertymark, who report a rise in complex and detailed complaints submitted by tenants with the assistance of AI.

Greg Tsuman, a past president of ARLA Propertymark, noted that AI programmes can produce well-worded complaints that previously would have taken tenants much longer to compile. He stated that there has been a spike in multipart complaints, some of which may lack grounds. Tsuman explained that his company has adapted its complaints procedure to address this new challenge, with complaints first handled by the relevant office, then escalated to the department head, and finally to the compliance team if necessary.

To manage the increased workload, Tsuman's company has started using AI to summarise and analyse lengthy complaint documents. He clarified that while AI is used to process and review the substance of complaints, human expertise is relied upon to formulate responses. Tsuman also suggested that it could be beneficial for The Property Ombudsman’s rules to require complainants to disclose if AI was used to construct their correspondence, in order to help identify potentially spurious or inaccurate complaints.

Ben Stokes, president-elect of ARLA Propertymark and a lettings director, has also observed a rise in AI-generated complaints. He noted that these complaints often merge information from the internet, including details about previously proposed government bills such as the Renters’ Reform Bill, which may no longer be accurate. Stokes highlighted the challenge of responding to complaints that have not been written by the tenant themselves, especially when the legal information is incorrect. He reported that his team carefully checks such complaints and responds to ensure tenants receive accurate guidance.

This development highlights the growing impact of AI on the UK lettings sector, with both opportunities and challenges for letting agents and inventory clerks in managing tenant communications.