Private Rented Sector Ombudsman UK 2026 — Mandatory Landlord Membership and Tenant Complaints Under RRA 2025

What the mandatory PRS ombudsman is and how it differs from existing schemes

Understanding the difference between the new mandatory PRS ombudsman and the existing property redress schemes is essential for landlords who may already be members of one of the voluntary schemes:

• The new PRS ombudsman (RRA 2025 Part 4): A new body created specifically for private landlords in the residential sector. All private landlords (individual and corporate) who let residential property in England must join. Membership is not optional and cannot be satisfied by joining the existing letting agent redress schemes. The scheme is designed to receive complaints from tenants about their landlord's conduct — not about the letting agent
• The Property Ombudsman (TPO) and Property Redress Scheme (PRS): These existing schemes are for letting agents and property managers, not landlords. Letting agents have been required to belong to a government-approved redress scheme since 2014. TPO and PRS handle complaints from landlords and tenants against agents. A landlord who is already a member of TPO or PRS in their capacity as a principal is a member of an agent redress scheme — this does not satisfy the RRA 2025 requirement for landlords to join the PRS ombudsman
• The PRS ombudsman vs First-tier Tribunal: The ombudsman handles complaints about landlord management conduct; the First-tier Tribunal handles statutory disputes (rent challenges, licensing appeals, RTO applications). The two systems are complementary — a tenant can use both. For example, a tenant might bring an ombudsman complaint about a landlord's failure to respond to repair requests AND separately apply to the First-tier Tribunal for an RTO if the landlord committed a licensing offence during the same period
• Self-managing landlords specifically targeted: The new PRS ombudsman scheme is particularly aimed at self-managing landlords — the estimated 40% of private rented sector landlords who manage properties themselves without using a letting agent. Landlords who use a fully managed letting agent service are likely to have the agent's redress scheme membership covering their property management complaints. Self-managing landlords have historically had no accessible dispute resolution mechanism accessible to tenants

Complaints the ombudsman can investigate — scope of the scheme

The PRS ombudsman can investigate complaints from tenants (and former tenants within a specified period) about the way a private landlord has managed the tenancy or property. The scheme covers a broad range of complaints:

• Repairs and maintenance: Failure to carry out repairs within a reasonable time; failure to respond to repair requests; undertaking inadequate or incomplete repairs; carrying out repairs in a way that causes disruption disproportionate to the works required. This is expected to be the most common complaint category given the Awaab's Law framework and the heightened expectations of landlord responsiveness
• Deposit handling: Failure to protect the deposit in a government-approved scheme; failure to return the deposit within the statutory deadline; making deductions from the deposit that were not permitted; providing inadequate breakdown of deposit deductions
• Communication and conduct: Failure to communicate with the tenant about matters affecting the tenancy; harassment; unlawful interference with quiet enjoyment; failure to provide required notices (s.47/s.48 notices, How to Rent booklet); repeated unannounced entry
• Tenancy management: Providing inaccurate information about the property before the tenancy commenced; failure to comply with tenancy agreement terms; unreasonably refusing consent to alterations or subletting; discriminatory conduct in the management of the tenancy
• What the ombudsman cannot investigate: The ombudsman cannot review decisions of the court or tribunal; cannot investigate complaints that are more than a specified period old (likely 12 months); cannot investigate complaints where legal proceedings have been issued; and has no jurisdiction over complaints about letting agents (these remain with TPO/PRS)

The ombudsman's powers — what can be awarded against a landlord

Where the ombudsman upholds a complaint, it has a range of powers to require the landlord to provide a remedy. Ombudsman decisions are binding on the landlord (subject to appeal):

• Financial compensation: The ombudsman can award financial compensation to the tenant of up to £25,000 per complaint. The award can cover: the impact of disrepair on the tenant's enjoyment of the property; distress and inconvenience caused by the landlord's failure to respond; actual financial losses incurred as a result of the landlord's conduct (for example, costs of alternative accommodation during periods of serious disrepair). Awards are not tax-deductible business expenses for the landlord
• Non-financial remedies: The ombudsman can require the landlord to: carry out specific repairs within a specified timeframe; provide a written apology; change a management practice; provide a written explanation of decisions; and refer the case to the local authority for further action (including HHSRS inspection or consideration of an improvement notice)
• Binding decisions: Once an ombudsman award is made, the landlord must comply. Failure to comply with an ombudsman award can result in: civil penalties; removal from the ombudsman scheme (which effectively prevents the landlord from letting, as scheme membership is mandatory); and referral to the local authority for enforcement action. The award itself is not a court judgment — to enforce payment, the tenant would need to apply to the court, but the ombudsman decision is strong evidence in subsequent proceedings
• Publication of decisions: The PRS ombudsman may publish decisions, which may include the landlord's name and property address. Publication of adverse decisions creates reputational risk for landlords — particularly landlords who manage properties in areas where prospective tenants actively research landlords before signing. Proactive engagement with complaints and early settlement is therefore in the landlord's interest

Membership obligations — joining, fees, and consequences of non-membership

Landlord obligations regarding PRS ombudsman membership are set out in the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Membership must be in place before the first tenancy is granted, and must be maintained for the duration of all tenancies:

• Who must join: All private landlords who let residential property in England must join the PRS ombudsman scheme. This includes individual landlords, limited company landlords, and corporate landlords. Resident landlords letting rooms in their own home under a licence (rather than a tenancy) may have modified obligations depending on the implementing regulations
• Membership fee: The PRS ombudsman will charge an annual membership fee. The fee structure has not yet been finally determined; estimates suggest fees of around £100-£200 per year for individual landlords with small portfolios, with larger landlords paying more. The fee is intended to make the service self-funding. The scheme is free for tenants to use — all complaint costs fall on the landlord through the membership fee structure
• RTO trigger for non-membership: Failure to join the mandatory PRS ombudsman scheme is a trigger offence for a Rent Repayment Order under RRA 2025. A tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for an RTO of up to 12 months' rent for any period during which the landlord was not a member of the required scheme. This significant financial exposure makes non-membership economically irrational
• Property Portal interaction: The Property Portal (also required under RRA 2025) will display a landlord's PRS ombudsman membership status as part of the public-facing compliance record. Tenants and local authorities can therefore verify both Property Portal registration and ombudsman membership in a single check. Non-membership is visible both to tenants and to enforcement authorities

Frequently asked questions