Glossary · UK
What is Landlord Redress Scheme?
A mandatory ombudsman scheme, introduced under the Renters' Rights Act, that all private landlords in England must join, giving tenants a free route to resolve complaints without going to court.
Full Definition
The landlord redress scheme is a new requirement, under the Renters' Rights Act, for every private landlord letting residential property in England to be a member of a single government-approved ombudsman service, extending to the private rented sector a model already used for letting and managing agents, and for social housing landlords via the existing Housing Ombudsman. The scheme gives tenants a free, independent route to raise complaints about issues such as poor property condition, unfair charges or how a landlord has handled a request, with the ombudsman able to investigate and, where a complaint is upheld, order the landlord to take specific actions or pay compensation — without the tenant needing to go through the cost, time and stress of the county court system. Landlords who fail to join the scheme, once it is compulsory, face financial penalties and can be prevented from evicting tenants using the standard legal routes until they comply. The scheme is intended to sit alongside the mandatory Private Rented Sector Database of landlords also introduced by the Act, giving both a complaints route and a public register of who is letting property.