Landlord Redress Scheme: Keeping a Record of How You Responded to Complaints

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 provides for a landlord redress scheme: a private rented sector ombudsman that tenants can turn to when a complaint isn't resolved. GOV.UK's guide to the Renters' Rights Act says private landlords in England will be required by law to join it.

This post is about the practical side: how to keep a record of tenant complaints and your responses, so that if one ever reaches an ombudsman you can show what happened and when. It is general information, not legal advice. For the wider picture, see our post on why landlord records matter.

What the Act says

The relevant provisions are sections 64 to 69 of the Act and Schedule 3 (check legislation.gov.uk for the full text):

  • Section 64, landlord redress schemes. The Secretary of State may, by regulations, require a residential landlord to be a member of a scheme. A scheme must provide for a complaint by or on behalf of a prospective, current or former tenant to be "independently investigated and determined by an independent individual". Regulations can require membership before a property is marketed.
  • Section 65. Approval and designation of schemes, and the conditions they must meet.
  • Sections 66 and 67. Financial penalties and offences.
  • Section 68. Regulations can allow a scheme's decision, once the complainant has accepted it, to be enforced as if it were a court order.

When, and who

On GOV.UK's implementation roadmap, the Ombudsman is to be set up from late 2026, and mandatory sign-up is expected in 2028, with landlords given "sufficient notice". The roadmap says that depends on the service being ready, so treat the date as an expectation, not a deadline.

The guide says membership will apply to private landlords in England with assured or regulated tenancies, including those who use a managing agent. It also expects a small annual fee per property, set by the ombudsman service, though no figure had been confirmed when we checked.

What the ombudsman can order

According to the GOV.UK guide, the ombudsman will be able to require a landlord to take or stop an action, give an apology or explanation, or pay compensation, and members must comply. Landlords who don't can be expelled from the scheme and face council enforcement. Failing to join can bring civil penalties of up to £7,000 for an initial breach and up to £40,000, or prosecution, for continuing or repeated breaches. Only tenants can bring complaints; landlords can't use the scheme against tenants.

Details are still to be set in regulations, so we haven't repeated more than GOV.UK says. Confirm against the current guidance.

Why your own record matters

A complaint to an independent investigator will come down to a timeline: what the tenant raised, when, and what you did about it. If you can produce that quickly, you are in a much better position than if you are reconstructing it from memory and scattered messages.

Keep a record of each complaint that is:

  1. Dated. When it reached you, and how: call, text, email or letter.
  2. Specific. The tenant's own words where you can, and which property.
  3. Acknowledged. When and how you replied, ideally in writing. A same-day text confirming a phone call is enough.
  4. Actioned. What you did next (booked a contractor, asked for access, checked with the agent) and the date of each step.
  5. Closed. What was agreed or done, and when the tenant was told.
  6. Complete. Include the awkward entries, such as a delayed reply. A full record is more credible than a tidy one.

The communication guide covers what to log and how long to keep it, including data protection.

Where this is easy to lose

Complaints often start informally: a missed call about a leak, a voicemail, a text sent in the evening. If these land on your personal phone, they are mixed in with everything else. Keeping tenant contact on a dedicated number puts the calls, voicemails and texts for each property in one place, with dates. TenantCall is built for that, though it is a record-keeping aid, not a substitute for advice or for responding to the complaint itself.

Where to check

Frequently asked questions

Do landlords have to join the private rented sector ombudsman?

Yes, that is the plan. GOV.UK's guide to the Renters' Rights Act says all private landlords in England with assured or regulated tenancies will be required by law to join the landlord ombudsman scheme, including landlords who use a managing agent. The GOV.UK implementation roadmap says mandatory sign-up is expected in 2028, with landlords given sufficient notice, and that the date depends on the service being ready. Check GOV.UK for the current position. This is general information, not legal advice.

What can the landlord ombudsman order a landlord to do?

GOV.UK's guide to the Renters' Rights Act says the ombudsman will be able to require a landlord to take or stop an action, give an apology or explanation, or pay compensation, and that members must comply with its decisions. Landlords who do not comply can be expelled from the scheme and face council enforcement. The detailed rules are to be set in regulations, so check GOV.UK for the current position.

What records help if a tenant complains to the ombudsman?

Dated, factual and complete records made at the time: the date and wording of the complaint, how it reached you, what you did in response and when, and what the tenant was told. Section 64 of the Renters' Rights Act 2025 says a complaint is independently investigated and determined by an independent individual, so being able to show a clear timeline is useful. The ombudsman has not published a list of required records, so check GOV.UK and take advice if you are unsure.