A new landlord ombudsman – what does this mean?

Yesterday (11th May 2022) in the Queen’s speech, the Government set out their plans to reform the private rented sector in England. The measures announced included the much-anticipated abolishment of Section 21 "No Fault Possession" notices and the reform of the Section 8 notices. Surprisingly, a new ombudsman for private landlords was also touched upon.

What will a new landlord ombudsman look like?

The Government announced that the overall objective for a new ombudsman for private landlords is "so that disputes can easily be resolved without the need to go to court, which is often costly and lengthy, and ensure that when residents make a complaint, landlords take action to put things right".

Independent redress schemes are there for consumers to complain to, to investigate alleged wrongdoing and to ensure that the majority of the relevant industry are playing by the rules and adhering to legislation and regulations, as well as to ensure minimum standards are being met.

What does this mean for landlords?

Basically, 'knowing your stuff' has never been so important! There are over 180 pieces of legislation which cover lettings and property management, and with a new ombudsman ready to receive complaints from disgruntled tenants, its paramount that landlords are adhering to every single one of them.

The days of being able to manage properties yourself, part-time and on the side will likely become long gone. Instead, you’ll have tenants going to an ombudsman which can uphold complaints and refer landlords to Trading Standards, risking fixed penalty notices or even injunctions and expulsion from the sector.

You may even see directives to private landlords that they must have an agent acting on their behalf, in some extreme cases.

Some help will be provided by the Government, with a new property portal being created to help landlords understand their obligations to their tenants. But the question will remain as to how detailed this will be, and how much time it will take for landlords to access and understand their obligations.

A white paper will be released shortly, according to the Government, which will set out in more detail the intended reforms within the private rented sector.

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