The not-for-profit organisation, previously known as the Surveyors Ombudsman Service officially changed its name on the 1 April 2010 to reflect its growing prevalence in the property management industry.

Originally set up by the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) and approved by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT), the ombudsman only deals with disputes involving one of its member organisations. As such, all Urban Owners' clients will now have access to free, impartial advice from the complaints body.

Clients can contact the ombudsman if, eight weeks after having registered a complaint with their managing agent, they do not consider that the issue has been suitably resolved.

Additionally, in the event that a client was issued with a so-called 'deadlock letter' asserting that their managing agent cannot resolve the situation any further, and that this is their final position on the matter, clients would be free to take the issue to the ombudsman.

Clients would also be entitled to pass a matter to the ombudsman if they were to have difficulty in registering or progressing a complaint with their managing agent before the initial eight weeks are out.

In one of these scenarios, the ombudsman could be called upon to decide whether any action should be taken, or if any financial reward is required.

Urban Owners co-director Steve Hooper said of the news: " We're delighted to have signed up to the Ombudsman Services: Property. It gives our clients further reassurance that any dispute they might have will be resolved in a timely manner, and reaffirms the confidence we have in our Block Administration Services."

For more information on the Ombudsman Services: Property dispute resolution services visit their website.