The Renters' Rights Act 2025 created a new mandatory Private Rented Sector Ombudsman for England. This is a significant change for private tenants, until
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The Renters' Rights Act 2025 created a new mandatory Private Rented Sector Ombudsman for England. This is a significant change for private tenants, until now, private landlords have not been required to belong to an independent dispute resolution scheme in the way that social landlords are.
The short answer
The PRS Ombudsman will give private tenants a free, independent route to resolve disputes with private landlords, including disputes about repairs and maintenance. All private landlords in England will be required by law to join. The scheme is in the process of being established following the Act's passage.
Why this matters
Before the Renters' Rights Act, private tenants with repair disputes had three main routes:
- The civil courts (housing disrepair claim)
- Council environmental health (HHSRS inspection and enforcement)
- Local authority licensing schemes (in limited areas)
There was no independent ombudsman that private landlords were required to join. The Housing Ombudsman Service, which is well-established and effective, covers social landlords only.
The PRS Ombudsman fills that gap.
What the PRS Ombudsman will cover
The scheme is expected to cover disputes including:
- repairs and maintenance failures
- deposits (alongside the existing deposit protection scheme adjudication)
- rent increases (under the new rules in the Renters' Rights Act)
- harassment and unlawful eviction complaints
- general landlord conduct
Membership will be mandatory for all private landlords letting residential property in England. Landlords who let without joining will be liable to fines.
How it differs from the Housing Ombudsman
The Housing Ombudsman Service covers social landlords, councils and housing associations. The new PRS Ombudsman covers private landlords only. They are separate schemes.
Private tenants who believe their complaint also involves housing association or council conduct (for example, where a council has failed to act on an enforcement matter) may need to use both routes.
What to do while the scheme is being set up
The PRS Ombudsman is being established following the Act. Until it is fully operational, private tenants continue to rely on the existing routes: civil disrepair claims, environmental health, and the courts.
If your landlord is not addressing repairs, you do not need to wait for the Ombudsman to be operational. The legal routes available today, including a housing disrepair claim under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and the HHSRS route, remain available and effective.
Your rights now
The Renters' Rights Act also abolished no-fault Section 21 evictions and introduced a Decent Homes Standard for the private sector. Together, these changes mean that private tenants in England now have significantly stronger protections than before.
If you have a repair dispute with a private landlord and want advice on the options available to you now, we can help.
When should I contact Support for Tenants?
If your private landlord is not addressing repairs and you want to understand your options, call us on 0800 030 4669.
No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.
Sources
Related articles
- Should I use a solicitor or an ombudsman?
- What if your landlord isn't Housing Ombudsman registered?
- What is the Fitness for Human Habitation Act?
We review every guide at least twice a year and update it when the law changes. If you spot something out of date or wrong, email help@supportfortenants.co.uk.
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 15 June 2026. Checked by our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Any compensation figures or ranges shown are illustrative only and not guaranteed; every case is different.
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