The PRS Landlord Ombudsman: who must join, and when

It's a free route for private tenants to complain about their landlord without going to court. Part 2, Chapter 2 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 lets the government set up a “landlord redress scheme” and require private landlords to belong to it. Today, private tenants have no statutory ombudsman unless their landlord has joined a scheme voluntarily.

Letting agents aren't part of it — complaints about agents stay with the existing agent redress schemes.

Not yet. The Act gives the Secretary of State the power to require membership by regulations, and those regulations haven't been made. The government's implementation roadmap puts mandatory sign-up in 2028, with the scheme set up from late 2026 onwards after the PRS Database.

The government hasn't yet chosen who will run it. Until the regulations are made, treat any date before 2028 with caution.

• Private landlords of homes in England let on an assured or regulated tenancy.
• Landlords who use a letting or managing agent — the landlord still joins.
• Not social landlords (they already have the Housing Ombudsman), and not lettings outside those tenancy types, such as lodgers on a licence.

No fee has been set. The government says it expects a small annual fee per property, with the charging model confirmed closer to launch. Ignore figures you see quoted from existing voluntary schemes — they aren't the fee for this one.

The Act lets the scheme require a landlord to:

• apologise or give an explanation;
• pay compensation (the Act sets no cap);
• take other action to put things right.

Landlords will be expected to comply, and can be expelled if they don't; the Act also allows decisions to be made enforceable like a court order.

Once membership is compulsory, councils will be able to fine a landlord up to £7,000 for breaching the membership rules. Carrying on more than 28 days after a final penalty, or breaching again within five years, is an offence — punishable by an unlimited fine, or a civil penalty of up to £40,000 instead.

• Nothing to join yet — but keep a clear record of repairs, messages and how you handle complaints. That record is what an ombudsman will look at.
• Register on the PRS Database first: it comes before the ombudsman, and it has its own deadline.
• Handle complaints in writing and promptly; most never need to go further.