Fortunately for DDM the character limit resulted in this shortened version… I used DDM as agent for a 1-bedroom flat, £460 PCM. For a forgotten reason, I came to pay more attention to the management of this property. Office communication issues aside, I had reservations about contractor standards, suspecting rates were a little high. E.g., when some electrical work needed doing I requested a quote from DDM. I then got another quote and saved myself around £200. I subsequently gave DDM instructions that I would use my own contractors and not theirs. I came to wonder why I was using DDM as they had previously stated that they would not deal with the management company of the building either. One weekend, a water leak led to DDM calling out one of their contractors out-of-hours. I reminded them that I had instructed only my own contractors to be used but their response was that it was their ‘out of hours’ procedure that had kicked in. The bill was once again one I thought high. I gave them notice. They charged a £200 cancellation fee. This hurt as I considered I was receiving a deficient service and usually in such circumstances you actually get a refund. Lynne Pearson (LP) then provided various details among which were details of the account-who pays what and when. Over the previous 12 months, housing benefit (HB) were paying a chunk of the rent on a 4-weekly basis in arrears and the tenant was paying the remainder on a PCM basis in advance. This had confused either the personnel or the accounting system or both such that the last 12 months of the accounts showed numerous incomprehensible part-payments and adjustments on the account and in July her monthly payment was increased even though there was no change to either the rent required nor HB’s contribution. It was amateur. The tenant was also expected to pay extra every month to account for the fact that the HB was paid in arrears - at one point DDM had in their coffers around £1000 of this poor pensioners money including the deposit. All for her share of the rent being £126 pcm! Good accounting? The statements were vague so I requested explanations for the confusing flurry of small part-payments. I did not get the courtesy of a reply. For the record, I don't think the DDM staff knew why their account system concocted these payments either. (When I detached myself from DDM, the rent switched to a four weekly figure and the tenant happily agreed to pay on a 4-weekly basis and the whole thing has gone swimmingly without any hiccups at all). That’s what one can do when one uses one’s brain and doesn’t just blindly point to a super-duper accounts system. The inadequate response to my queries and complaints compelled me to complain to The Property Ombudsman (TPO). On the various counts they found partially in my favour re communication issues and partially against me on another but on the remainder gthey told me they did not look into accounting issues, not being a regulator. LP has letters after her name so I'm presuming that she knew how the TPO works and therefore also knew this limitation. I would have thought it her professional duty to inform me that the TPO would not look into these complaints. I asked LP as to who looks into the accounting issues then? Nothing. Eventually the MD Mr David Gardner (DG) got involved and I asked him the same question. I got a reply of technical information about their accounting system and auditing procedures etc. I thanked him for his email but pointed out that he hadn't actually answered my question and since then the airwaves have been completely silent. I cannot get a reply from anybody in DDM as to who oversees their accounts in the form of an ombudsman/regulator. It is possible DDM are aware of their accounting short-comings and would rather their accounts not be opened to ombudsman scrutiny. They are happy to advertise they are a member of the TPO but don’t mention that the TPO has serious limitations as to what it won’t look into if you have issues with their accounting practices.