The landlord ombudsman: what private landlords in England need to know

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The landlord ombudsman is a new redress scheme for private rented sector tenants in England, set up under the Renters' Rights Act 2025 [1]. Membership will be mandatory for private landlords, the government expects to require it in 2028, and landlords will fund it through a charging model "confirmed closer to launch" [1]. The ombudsman will settle disputes between tenants and landlords without court, and will also give landlords tools, guidance and training on handling complaints early [1].

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What is the landlord ombudsman?

Until now, private tenants in England with a complaint about a landlord who manages their own property have had few options short of the council or the courts. Letting agents already have to belong to a redress scheme, but self-managing landlords haven't.

The government's roadmap says it will "establish a Landlord Ombudsman for the PRS to improve dispute resolution, settling issues between tenants and landlords without costly court proceedings" [1]. It describes the service as one that:

  • provides redress for private tenants when things go wrong
  • supports landlords with tools, guidance and training on handling complaints from tenants early
  • is mandatory for private landlords
  • is funded by landlords through "a fair and proportionate charging model" [1]

When does the landlord ombudsman start?

The ombudsman is part of phase 2 of the roadmap, after the private rented sector database [1]. The roadmap says:

  • implementation of the ombudsman will happen after the introduction of the database [1]
  • it will be developed in stages [1]
  • the government will require landlords to be members, which it expects to be in 2028, when the Secretary of State is confident the service is ready [1]
  • landlords will get sufficient notice before membership is required [1]

The roadmap's timeline table lists "Mandatory sign-up for landlords to join the PRS Landlord Ombudsman" under 2028 [1].

Landlord ombudsman registration

The roadmap says the government is exploring ways to share information between the database and the ombudsman "to minimise landlord sign-up burden" [1]. That suggests registration may link to your database entry, but the details aren't published yet. We'll update this page when they are.

Landlord ombudsman cost

Landlords will pay. The roadmap says the service will be funded through a fair and proportionate charging model, "confirmed closer to launch" [1]. We haven't seen a confirmed fee in the roadmap. Be wary of figures that don't link back to official guidance.

What kind of complaints will the ombudsman handle?

The roadmap describes the scope in general terms: redress "when things go wrong" and dispute resolution between tenants and landlords [1]. Detailed rules haven't been published. For most small landlords, though, the obvious source of complaints is the same one that fills councils' and courts' in-trays already: repairs and conditions.

That's where you can prepare now.

How to prepare for the landlord ombudsman

An ombudsman looks at what happened and what you did about it. Landlords who can show a clear, dated record tend to be in a far better position than landlords relying on memory and a WhatsApp thread.

  1. Give tenants one clear way to report problems. GOV.UK tells tenants to report problems in writing and keep a copy [2]. Make that easy.
  2. Respond within a reasonable time. There's no fixed legal deadline for most private repairs yet, but government guidance gives examples, such as a technician attending within 24 hours for something serious like a boiler failure [2]. See how long a landlord has to do repairs.
  3. Record what you did and when. Who attended, what they found, when it was fixed.
  4. Keep photos. Before and after.
  5. Handle complaints in writing. Acknowledge, explain your plan, follow up.
  6. Keep certificates current. Gas safety, EICR and EPC are the basics any complaint about safety will check.

How Gaffy builds your record as you go

Gaffy gives each property a repair link. Your tenant opens it in their phone's browser, describes the problem and adds up to 5 photos, with no app and no account. Each request lands in your maintenance inbox with a timestamp and moves from New to Scheduled to Done, and the history stays against the property. If a complaint ever reaches an ombudsman, you'll have a dated record of when you heard about the problem and what you did. See the maintenance inbox.

How the ombudsman fits with Awaab's Law

The roadmap puts Awaab's Law and a Decent Homes Standard for private renting in phase 3, with timings subject to consultation [1]. Awaab's Law already sets fixed timeframes for social landlords dealing with hazards [3]. Our guide to Awaab's Law for private landlords explains what's known so far. A habit of quick, documented responses now prepares you for both.

What a good complaints process looks like

The roadmap says the ombudsman will support landlords with tools, guidance and training on handling complaints early [1]. You don't need to wait for that guidance to set up something sensible:

  1. One place to complain. Tell tenants how to raise a complaint, in writing.
  2. Acknowledge quickly. A same-day or next-day acknowledgement stops many complaints escalating.
  3. Explain what happens next, with a realistic timescale.
  4. Do what you said, and confirm in writing when it's done.
  5. Keep the whole thread with the property's records.

Ombudsman, council or court?

Tenants already have routes when things go wrong: asking the council to inspect under HHSRS, small claims for repairs, and action for disrepair or unfitness [2]. The ombudsman is designed to add a cheaper route that settles disputes without court proceedings [1]. For landlords, that likely means more complaints are looked at independently, and fewer are about legal technicalities and more about what you did in practice. A clear record of your response is the best preparation for all three routes.

Small landlords often handle complaints by phone and forget the details within a month. Writing a two-line note after each call fixes that.

FAQs

What is the landlord ombudsman?

A mandatory redress scheme for private landlords in England, created under the Renters' Rights Act, to settle tenant disputes without court [1].

When will landlords have to join the landlord ombudsman?

The government expects to require membership in 2028 and will give advance notice [1].

How much will the landlord ombudsman cost?

Landlords will fund it through a charging model to be confirmed closer to launch [1].

Is it the same as the Housing Ombudsman?

No. The roadmap describes a new ombudsman for the private rented sector [1]. The existing Housing Ombudsman covers social housing.

Do I need to join now?

No. Mandatory membership is expected in 2028 [1].

Does it apply in Wales or Scotland?

It's part of the Renters' Rights Act reforms for England [1].

How does Gaffy help?

Gaffy timestamps every repair request with photos and status, flags gas safety, EICR and EPC expiry, and gives tenants a repair link with no app. It's £12 a month for up to 5 properties, plus £4 a month for each extra property, and the first month is free.

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Sources

  1. GOV.UK, Implementing the Renters' Rights Act 2025: our roadmap: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/renters-rights-act-2025-implementation-roadmap/implementing-the-renters-rights-act-2025-our-roadmap-for-reforming-the-private-rented-sector
  2. GOV.UK, How to rent a safe home: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/how-to-rent-a-safe-home/how-to-rent-a-safe-home
  3. GOV.UK, Awaab's Law: guidance for social landlords: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/awaabs-law-guidance-for-social-landlords/awaabs-law-guidance-for-social-landlords-timeframes-for-repairs-in-the-social-rented-sector