Redress

Redress in the private rented sector refers to the mechanisms through which a tenant can seek a remedy when a landlord has failed to meet their obligations, and the framework within which a landlord is expected to respond to, and resolve, those complaints. Remedies can include an apology, an explanation, remedial action such as carrying out repairs, and in some cases financial compensation. At present, private tenants in England must pursue redress through the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber), local authority enforcement, the courts, or their tenancy deposit protection scheme's adjudication service. The Renters' Rights Act 2025 introduces a new mandatory Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, called a "landlord redress scheme" in the Act, which will provide a faster, free, and binding alternative to those routes for most private sector complaints.

The current redress landscape

Private landlords in England are not currently required to belong to any redress scheme. This distinguishes them from letting agents, who have been required under the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 to be members of an approved redress scheme, either The Property Ombudsman or the Property Redress Scheme, since 2014.

Tenants who have a dispute with their landlord today must use one of these routes:

The First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) handles rent-related disputes, including challenges to rent increases under Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988 and claims under the tenancy deposit protection rules. Applications to the tribunal cost £47 for a rent dispute.

Local authority enforcement handles complaints about property condition, licensing breaches, harassment, and illegal eviction. Local councils have civil penalty powers of up to £7,000 for standard breaches and up to £40,000 for serious offences under the Renters' Rights Act 2025.

Deposit protection adjudication is provided by each government-approved tenancy deposit scheme and resolves disputes over deductions from the deposit at the end of a tenancy.

The courts handle claims for compensation for disrepair, unlawful eviction, and harassment. Court proceedings are expensive and slow relative to adjudication or tribunal routes.

The PRS Landlord Ombudsman: what the Renters' Rights Act introduces

Chapter 2 of Part 1 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 establishes the legal framework for a new mandatory landlord redress scheme. Under Section 62 of the Act, a "landlord redress scheme" is defined as one that provides for complaints by prospective, current, or former tenants to be independently investigated and determined by an independent investigator. All private landlords in England with assured or regulated tenancies will be required to join, including those who use a letting agent, even if that agent is already a member of its own redress scheme. The duty falls on the landlord directly.

The scheme will allow tenants to complain about a landlord's actions, failures to act, or behaviours that cause harm or inconvenience. The Ombudsman will have powers to require a landlord to apologise, provide information, take remedial action, and pay compensation. Decisions will be legally binding on the landlord. Failure to join or comply will attract civil penalties.

Timeline

As of May 2026, the mandatory Ombudsman scheme is not yet in force. The Government has confirmed its preference for the Housing Ombudsman Service (which currently serves social housing tenants) to be appointed as the scheme administrator for the private rented sector. The current expected sequence is: the PRS Database (a separate mandatory register of all private landlords and properties) begins its regional rollout from late 2026; once the database is established, the Ombudsman will be introduced, with mandatory landlord membership currently expected in approximately 2028.

Letting agents are already required to belong to a redress scheme and are unaffected by this change.

What landlords should do now

The practical preparation for the forthcoming Ombudsman regime is primarily operational: establish a clear internal complaints process so tenants know how to raise concerns directly, respond promptly and in writing to all complaints, and keep a complete record of all communications, maintenance requests, and steps taken to resolve issues. August's compliance checklist and document storage feature let landlords build and maintain the communication records and complaint correspondence trail that a future Ombudsman investigation would expect to see.

From working with self-managing landlords across the UK, the landlords who face the fewest escalated disputes are those who treat every maintenance request and complaint as a documented process from first contact, rather than an informal conversation. The Ombudsman will assess whether a landlord acted reasonably and transparently, and a consistent record is the evidence of that.

For the full guide to the PRS Landlord Ombudsman, including the statutory framework, expected timeline, what complaints tenants can bring, what the Ombudsman can order, and what landlords should do now to prepare, see the August guide to the PRS Landlord Ombudsman.

Frequently asked questions

Do private landlords in England have to belong to a redress scheme now?

Not yet. Mandatory PRS Ombudsman membership for private landlords is expected in approximately 2028. As of May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act has established the legal framework but the mandatory scheme has not yet launched. Letting agents, however, have been required to belong to a redress scheme since 2014.

What can the PRS Ombudsman do once it is in force?

The Ombudsman will be able to require landlords to apologise, provide explanations, take remedial action (such as completing repairs), and pay compensation to tenants. Decisions will be binding. Failure to comply will expose landlords to further civil penalties enforced by local authorities.

What redress does a tenant have before the Ombudsman launches?

Tenants can use the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber) for rent disputes (£47 application fee), their tenancy deposit protection scheme's free adjudication service for end-of-tenancy disputes, local authority enforcement for housing standards and licensing breaches, and the courts for compensation claims. The Renters' Rights Act also strengthened local authority enforcement powers, raising civil penalties for serious and repeated breaches.

Is the PRS Ombudsman the same as the Housing Ombudsman?

Not currently, though the Government has indicated its preference for the Housing Ombudsman Service, which covers social housing tenants, to also operate the PRS Landlord Ombudsman once it is established. The two schemes would serve different sectors under a single operator.