Written by Daniel Andrews, Partner & Solicitor, Cramp & Mullaney LLP
Last reviewed: April 2026
The Renters’ Rights Act 2025 creates a new mandatory Private Rented Sector Ombudsman, which all private landlords in England will be required to join. This is a significant development for tenants, who will for the first time have access to a free, binding dispute resolution mechanism for complaints about their landlord without the need to take court proceedings. This article explains what the Ombudsman will cover, when it will be available, and what tenants and landlords need to know.
What Is the PRS Ombudsman?
An Ombudsman is an independent adjudicator that provides binding dispute resolution outside the court system. Ombudsman services already exist in various sectors, including the Housing Ombudsman for social housing and the Property Ombudsman for complaints about estate and letting agents. The new PRS Ombudsman will serve private tenants, providing a route to resolve complaints about private landlords that is faster, cheaper, and less formal than court proceedings.
Membership of the Ombudsman scheme will be mandatory for all private landlords letting on Assured Periodic Tenancies in England. A landlord who fails to join will be in breach of the Act and face financial penalties. The scheme is expected to launch in the second half of 2026 and to be fully operational by 2028.
What Tenants Will Be Able to Complain About
While the precise scope of the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction will be set out in secondary legislation, it is expected to cover a wide range of landlord conduct, including failure to carry out repairs or address safety hazards, harassment or intimidation, unlawful fees or charges, failure to protect a deposit or return it at the end of the tenancy, failure to respond to maintenance requests, failure to provide the required written statement of tenancy terms, discriminatory conduct in tenant selection, and failure to properly process a pet request.
Ombudsman decisions will be binding on landlords, and the Ombudsman will be able to require specific remedial action and award financial compensation. This represents a significantly more accessible route to redress than the county court for most everyday disputes.
How the Process Will Work
Ombudsman services generally require complainants to have first raised the matter with the landlord directly and given them a reasonable opportunity to respond before escalating. Most schemes define this as a period of around eight weeks. If the landlord does not resolve the complaint within that period, the tenant can escalate to the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman will then consider the evidence from both parties and make a determination.
What Landlords Should Do Now
Landlords should begin preparing for the Ombudsman by establishing a documented internal complaints procedure. When the scheme opens, the existence of a proper internal process will be required before a complaint can be escalated. Maintaining thorough records of all communications with tenants, all maintenance requests and responses, and all financial transactions will be essential if any complaint reaches the Ombudsman stage.
While the Ombudsman is being established, existing dispute resolution routes remain available, including court proceedings and the deposit scheme adjudication service. If you have a current dispute with your landlord in Kent, please contact us to discuss the most appropriate route for your situation.
If you are a landlord or tenant in Kent and need advice on the Renters' Rights Act 2025 or any landlord and tenant matter, Cramp & Mullaney LLP can help. We advise clients across Kent and the South East from our offices in Eastbourne (01323 720581) and Battle (01424 533222), East Sussex. We offer a fixed fee 30-minute initial consultation.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. If you need advice about your specific situation, please contact Cramp & Mullaney LLP on 01323 720581 (Eastbourne) or 01424 533222 (Battle), or email us at info@cmlaw.co.uk. We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA No. 598851).
