The Renters' Rights Act 2025 set up a new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman for England. Every private landlord must join it. This is a big change for private
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The Renters' Rights Act 2025 set up a new Private Rented Sector Ombudsman for England. Every private landlord must join it. This is a big change for private tenants. Until now, private landlords did not have to join an independent scheme to sort out disputes. Social landlords have had to do this for a while.
The short answer
The PRS Ombudsman gives private tenants a free, independent way to sort out disputes with private landlords. This includes disputes about repairs and upkeep. The law will make all private landlords in England join. The scheme is still being set up after the Act became law.
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 had to join. The Housing Ombudsman Service works well and has been around a long time. But it 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
All private landlords who let homes in England must join. Landlords who let homes without joining can be fined.
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 two separate schemes.
Some private tenants think their complaint also involves a housing association or a council. For example, a council may have failed to act on an enforcement matter. If so, you may need to use both routes.
What to do while the scheme is being set up
The PRS Ombudsman is still being set up after the Act. Until it is fully up and running, private tenants still use the routes that are there today. These are civil disrepair claims, environmental health, and the courts.
Is your landlord not fixing repairs? You do not need to wait for the Ombudsman to be up and running. The legal routes you can use today still work well. These include a housing disrepair claim under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 and the HHSRS route.
Your rights now
The Renters' Rights Act also got rid of no-fault Section 21 evictions. It brought in a Decent Homes Standard for the private sector. Together, these changes give private tenants in England much stronger protection than before.
Do you have a repair dispute with a private landlord? Do you want advice on what you can do now? We can help.
When should I contact Support for Tenants?
If your private landlord is not fixing repairs and you want to know 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, not a promise; every case is different.
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