Letting agents are facing a growing number of lengthy and potentially inaccurate tenant complaints generated with the assistance of artificial intelligence, Propertymark warns.
The professional body says AI tools are enabling consumers to compile complex correspondence more easily, but may also introduce incorrect legal arguments, irrelevant details and references to legislation that never became law.
Agents must then devote considerable time to checking each allegation, separating legitimate concerns from inaccurate material and preparing an appropriate response.
Industry figures are urging agencies to review their complaints procedures and use trained staff to retain oversight of every response.
AI CAN CREATE COMPLAINTS WITHOUT MERIT
Greg Tsuman (main picture, inset), Past President of ARLA Propertymark, says: “With the rise of AI, we have seen a spike in complex and intricate complaints. We are now having to spend time and effort addressing multipart points and complaints that are sometimes without grounds.
“AI tends to be very much user-biased – it can tell you what you want to hear, and it can lead people into a potential false sense of awareness where the complaint might be without true merit.”
HUMAN EXPERTISE MUST CONTROL RESPONSES
Explaining how his company handles such correspondence, Tsuman says: “We have got a complaints procedure designed for the AI world. The first point would be for the relevant office to deal with the complaint and then it would get passed on to the department head, and finally the compliance team.
“We have now started using AI to help summarise and analyse the substance of potential correspondence because if you are looking at a document that spans several pages of A4, that quickly becomes a very time-intensive task.
“We don’t use AI to respond to complaints, but we use it to do the heavy lifting so that we can see the wood from the trees. We then rely on human expertise to make a response.”
DISCLOSURE COULD DETER SCATTERGUN CLAIMS
Tsuman believes The Property Ombudsman could require complainants to disclose when AI has helped prepare their correspondence.
He adds: “AI shouldn’t prevent any complaint from going ahead because it may have assisted in making the communication clearer for the respondent to review.
“The aim would be to prevent potential spurious complaints that might be seen as a ‘scattergun’ approach, where tenants might potentially end up including details which aren’t correct or are taken out of context.”
OUTDATED LEGAL INFORMATION CREATES CONFUSION
Ben Stokes, President-elect of ARLA Propertymark and a lettings director, has also observed an increase in AI-assisted complaints.
He and Tsuman say some tools combine current information with material concerning abandoned or superseded proposals, including the former Renters’ Reform Bill.
Stokes says: “It can be difficult to navigate AI complaints that someone has not written, especially when the legal stance is not correct.
“We check them carefully and respond in a way that points tenants in the right direction. The biggest thing we are finding is that AI tools are empowering people to complain about things and blow small situations out of proportion.”
INACCURATE CLAIMS DIVERT AGENTS’ ATTENTION
Kim Lidbury, President of ARLA Propertymark, says: “AI has the capacity to transform our lives in so many ways for the better, but regarding this circumstance, it is being used to construct well-meaning and, in many cases, inaccurate complaints to agents.
“This is causing them to direct a lot of their attention towards examining whether these complaints are legitimate or not instead of helping people with their property ambitions.
“I would encourage people to ensure that what they are writing is accurate and to do thorough research into the subject matter they are writing about. Not only will this save time overall when it comes to analysing problems, but it means any enquiry can be dealt with more quickly.”
TECHNOLOGY CANNOT REPLACE JUDGEMENT
Phil Spencer, Founder of Move iQ, says: “AI has huge potential to make the property industry more efficient and improve the way we work.
“Agents who embrace it and use it well will be in a strong position, but technology can only take us so far. There’s no substitute for human expertise, experience, and judgement.”
Spencer adds: “As AI makes it easier for people to create complaints, including ones that may contain inaccurate information, property businesses need to be prepared. It’s worth reviewing the processes you already have in place so your team can quickly identify what’s factually correct and what isn’t, without it becoming a distraction from the day-to-day job.”
AI MUST BE USED HONESTLY AND FAIRLY
Nathan Emerson, CEO of Propertymark, says: “For many property agents, AI can cut administration and enable agents to concentrate more on communication and customer service.
“However, such ambitions cannot be achieved if property agents are spending considerable time assessing whether specific complaints were written using AI tools or not.
“When it comes to the property profession, AI should always be deployed in a manner that enhances the consumer experience.
“It must always be used with honesty and fairness at the core of its intended use, with full human oversight and ongoing evaluation, review and scrutiny.”
