Landlords may soon have to repay up to two years rents to tenants if they fail to comply with decisions with the sector’s looming new ombudsman.

Richard Blakemore (main image), whose organisation the Housing Ombudsman Service is widely expected to get the contract from Labour to help tenants get redress from landlords, has said that landlords who ignore its decisions should have to pay back rent to their tenants via a Rent Repayment Order.

He made the comments during an evidence session at parliament yesterday in front of a scrutiny committee, whose members on the day included new housing minister Matthew Pennycook.

Redress mechanism

The Renters’ Rights Bill includes proposals that will see a new mechanism for tenants to get redress from landlords when tenancies go wrong.

During the committee’s questioning Blakeway said one of the areas not tackled by the Bill was enforcement and, in particular, what would happen if landlords ignored the ombudsman’s decisions when tenants complained about property conditions or sought to get money back from their landlord.

Blakeway suggested that, rather than local authorities chase up non-compliant landlords, instead landlords should be subject to rent repayment orders (RROs) via the First Tier Tribunal system, as is the case currently when they are found not to licenced properties within areas covered by selective or HMO schemes.

The Bill already includes measures that will see landlords who do not sign up to the ombudsman face RROs, which in London can run into tens of thousands of pounds, so this would be an extension of this idea.

Break the law

Sean Hooker (pictured), Head of Redress at the PRS, says: “Of course, landlords who seriously break the law and regulations need to be cracked down on, but most tenant complaints are small issues which have a big impact of on their quality of life.

“They cannot wait weeks or months whilst a contorted process considers maladministration or enforcement; they just want things put right.

“So I agree that a strong framework is needed to intervene and help landlords to do the right thing before things get worse.

“This is essential to be put in place before the ombudsman is set loose; landlords and tenants should have access to help and advice, access to mediation and private resolution and signposting to what help is available.

“The agent redress schemes already do this at the moment and I am keen these services are available to tenants who deal directly with landlords.”