The Housing Ombudsman is lined up to run the new private landlord ombudsman. Here is what that means for landlords
We now know who the government wants to run the new ombudsman for private landlords. In a written answer to Parliament on 26 October 2026, housing minister Matthew Pennycook said: "The government's intention is that the existing Housing Ombudsman Service, which currently provides mandatory redress for social housing tenants, will set up and operate the service."
The same answer makes the other key point clear: landlords do not have to join anything yet. Here is what was said, what the rules already set out, and what is still to come.
What the minister said
Becky Gittins MP asked what steps the government is taking to appoint a private rented sector landlord ombudsman under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. The minister's answer had three parts:
- The legal framework is in place. Regulations came into force on 17 September 2026 allowing the Secretary of State to designate or approve a private landlord redress scheme, which will provide private tenants with "free and impartial access to redress".
- The Housing Ombudsman Service is the intended operator. It already provides mandatory redress for social housing tenants.
- There is no duty to join yet. In the minister's words: "The regulations in question do not require landlords to join a scheme immediately. The scheme will be prepared for designation, and the necessary digital and operational functionality will be developed before further regulations set out which landlords must join and when."
So there is no start date for landlords, and no action to take today.
What the September regulations say
The regulations are the Private Landlord Redress Schemes (Approval and Designation) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/1033). They do not create the scheme. They set the conditions any approved or designated scheme must meet. Two of those conditions matter most to landlords.
What a scheme can order. The scheme must allow the person deciding a complaint to make a "redress order" requiring a landlord who is a member to:
- provide an apology or explanation
- pay compensation of no more than £25,000
- take such other actions in the interests of the complainant as the person deciding the complaint may specify
A redress order must say how long the landlord has to do what it requires, taking the circumstances of the case into account.
Fees. The scheme must charge fees to its members. The regulations say fee amounts must be "fair and proportionate", that fees must be set to cover the scheme's costs without exceeding them, and that any increase must be approved by the Secretary of State. No fee amount has been announced.
What the Renters' Rights Act already says about joining
The duty to join will come from further regulations under section 64 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025, which lets the Secretary of State require a residential landlord to be a member of a landlord redress scheme. None have been made requiring landlords to join.
Once that duty exists, section 66 of the Act lets a council impose a financial penalty of up to £7,000 for breaching those regulations, and up to £40,000 for an offence under section 67. That section covers, for example, a breach that continues more than 28 days after a penalty, or a further breach within 5 years of a penalty.
What is not decided yet
The minister's answer and the regulations leave these points for later:
- which landlords must join, and from when
- the membership fee
- how landlords will sign up
Our earlier guide to the landlord ombudsman explains how an ombudsman works and why records matter, and our Renters' Rights Act timeline shows where it sits alongside the other reforms. The ombudsman is separate from the PRS database: see our summary of the PRS database regulations.
Getting ready, in practical terms
Nothing changes for landlords today. These are practical habits rather than legal requirements, and they help whatever the final scheme looks like:
- Log repairs from report to fix. Note when a tenant reported a problem, what you did and when it was done. Our guide to landlord repair responsibilities covers what you are responsible for.
- Deal with damp and mould quickly, and keep a record of each step. See our damp and mould guide.
- Keep messages and documents together for each property. Our guide to landlord record keeping covers what to keep and for how long.
This is general information about a written answer to Parliament and published regulations, not legal advice. Check GOV.UK for any new rules once further regulations are made.
Keep each property's records in one place
LandlordProof gives you one place for each property's certificate dates and documents, with email reminders before each date comes up, so each property's certificates and documents are easy to find when you need them. Your first property is free, with no time limit and no card needed. Add your first property and start free.
Start free →LandlordProof helps you organise your certificates, documents and reminders. Using it does not by itself meet your legal duties as a landlord, and it does not register you on the PRS database.
Sources: UK Parliament, Written question 36463, Private Rented Housing: Ombudsman (tabled 20 October 2026, answered 26 October 2026 by Matthew Pennycook); legislation.gov.uk, The Private Landlord Redress Schemes (Approval and Designation) Regulations 2026 (SI 2026/1033), Schedule, paragraph 4 (redress) and paragraph 7 (fees); legislation.gov.uk, Renters' Rights Act 2025, Part 2, Chapter 2 (landlord redress schemes, sections 64 to 67).