Landlord Advice Centre

What Is the Landlord Ombudsman?

The new Landlord Ombudsman is intended to provide an independent way of resolving complaints between tenants and private landlords without the tenant necessarily having to pursue the matter through the courts.

Under the Renters' Rights Act, the landlord redress scheme will be able to independently investigate and determine complaints made by or on behalf of prospective, current or former residential tenants against landlords who are members of the scheme.

The Government describes the Ombudsman as a service designed to provide quick, fair and impartial resolution of tenants' complaints.

Its decisions will be binding.

Why Is the Ombudsman Being Introduced?

Letting agents are already required to belong to an approved redress scheme, but historically there has not been an equivalent requirement covering all private landlords.

The new system is intended to provide tenants with a clearer route for resolving complaints when an issue cannot be satisfactorily resolved directly with their landlord.

The Government also intends the Ombudsman to support landlords by providing tools, guidance and training to help them deal with complaints effectively at an earlier stage.

This means the Ombudsman should not simply be viewed as another enforcement body. Good communication, proper record keeping and dealing with legitimate concerns promptly should continue to be the best way of preventing many disputes from escalating.

Will All Landlords Have to Join?

The Government intends membership of the new scheme to be mandatory for private landlords within its scope.

However, mandatory membership has not started yet.

The Government currently expects landlords to be required to join in 2028, once the Ombudsman service has been established and is ready to accept members.

Landlords will be given notice before membership becomes compulsory.

At present, landlords do not need to register with the new Landlord Ombudsman.

Will Landlords Have to Pay?

Yes. The Government has confirmed that landlords will be required to fund the Ombudsman service through a charging model.

The amount landlords will have to pay has not yet been confirmed and is expected to be announced closer to the launch of mandatory membership.

We would therefore recommend waiting for the official arrangements rather than relying on estimates of what membership may cost.

What Types of Complaints Could the Ombudsman Consider?

The detailed operation of the scheme will be established as implementation progresses.

The legislation provides for complaints from prospective, current and former residential tenants to be independently investigated and determined through the redress scheme.

In practical terms, the introduction of the Ombudsman makes it increasingly important for landlords to have clear procedures for dealing with tenant concerns and to maintain good records of communication, repairs, inspections and decisions made during a tenancy.

Where a tenant raises a legitimate concern, dealing with it promptly and keeping an appropriate record of the action taken should help demonstrate that the landlord has acted reasonably if the matter later develops into a formal complaint.

What If Wrights Residential Manages the Property?

Landlords using a managing agent will still be required to join the Landlord Ombudsman once membership becomes mandatory.

This is because the Ombudsman relates to the landlord's own responsibilities and conduct. Appointing a managing agent does not remove the landlord's legal obligations to their tenants.

Letting and managing agents already have separate legal requirements to belong to an approved redress scheme. Under the new system, the landlord and managing agent will therefore have their own respective redress arrangements and will remain responsible for the services, actions and obligations that apply to them.

Where a complaint involves both a landlord and their managing agent, the relevant redress schemes may work together where appropriate.

For landlords using Wrights Residential's Fully Managed service, we will continue to manage the day-to-day communication with tenants, maintenance issues and other aspects of the tenancy that fall within our management service. However, landlords will still need to become members of the Landlord Ombudsman when the requirement comes into force.

When Will the Landlord Ombudsman Start?

The Government plans to introduce the Ombudsman after the initial introduction of the Private Rented Sector Database.

The scheme is being developed in stages. A scheme administrator will first need to be selected and given time to establish and scale the service.

The Government's current roadmap then expects mandatory landlord membership in 2028.

This is therefore different from some of the other Renters' Rights Act reforms that came into force on 1 May 2026.

At present, landlords do not need to join the new Ombudsman.

What Should Landlords Do Now?

There is no need to register with the Landlord Ombudsman at this stage.

Instead, landlords should continue to concentrate on good property management and compliance with the requirements that already apply.

Good practice includes:

• responding to tenant concerns within a reasonable timeframe;
• keeping records of important correspondence;
• documenting repairs and maintenance;
• retaining relevant safety and compliance records; and
• ensuring that complaints are dealt with professionally.

These are sensible practices already, but they are likely to become even more important once tenants have access to the new independent redress service.

How Wrights Residential Can Help

The introduction of a Landlord Ombudsman represents another change to the regulatory framework for private landlords, but it is not something landlords need to register for immediately.

The Government currently expects mandatory membership to begin in 2028, and further information will be published before landlords are required to join.

Wrights Residential will continue to monitor the implementation of the scheme and keep our landlords informed as the membership process, fees and detailed requirements are confirmed.

For landlords using our Fully Managed service, effective communication, maintenance management and record keeping already form an important part of the management of the tenancy.

We will review the new requirements as further guidance becomes available and help our landlords prepare for their obligations under the new system.

Please note: This article provides general guidance for landlords in England and is based on Government information available at the date of publication. The detailed operation, membership requirements and charging arrangements for the Landlord Ombudsman are still being developed and may change before mandatory membership begins.