The Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act (DMCCA) came into force on 6 April 2026, bringing strict new rules on online reviews for estate agents. Any agent posting, incentivising or failing to remove fake reviews now risks fines of up to 10% of turnover or £300,000 - whichever is higher (Property Wire, April 2026).

The penalties and enforcement rules

Under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act, regulators gained new powers to enforce consumer protection rules directly against businesses posting misleading reviews online. The enforcement regime applies to all estate agents and lettings firms operating in the UK. It covers any fake, misleading or unverified feedback displayed on property portals, websites or social media.

The penalty structure is significant. According to Property Wire's reporting, the maximum fine is either 10% of annual turnover or £300,000, whichever is greater. For larger estate agency networks, the 10% turnover calculation could result in fines exceeding the fixed cap. These are civil penalties - enforcement action does not require criminal intent, only that fake reviews were posted or incentivised.

Regulators can also issue compliance notices (formal orders requiring removal of misleading reviews within a set period). Failure to comply triggers escalating penalties.

Who must comply and what counts as fake

Estate agents, lettings firms and any property business displaying customer reviews online must comply. The rules cover reviews posted directly by the business, reviews incentivised through discounts or benefits, and reviews from unverified or fabricated sources.

The DMCCA applies to reviews on Google, property portals, social media platforms and any other channel where reviews are displayed. Agents cannot rely on a "we didn't know it was fake" defence if reviews come from unverified sources.

In practice, this means property professionals now need to document how reviews are collected. Incentivised reviews require clear disclosure. Reviews must come from verified sources. The deadline is already passed - 6 April 2026 is the effective date, and enforcement activity is expected to begin.

What agents should do now

You may wish to review all online ratings and feedback across every platform where your business appears. Consider flagging any reviews that cannot be verified as coming from a genuine customer or tenant. If you use a third-party review collection service, check whether they verify customer identity before posting.

Consider implementing a formal review policy covering: verification of reviewer identity, handling of removal requests, and disclosure of any incentives offered. Keeping records of removed reviews and the reasoning demonstrates compliance if regulators ask.

The Act is now in force. Agents who have not reviewed their practices since 6 April may wish to act before enforcement ramps up.