The Property Ombudsman’s chief executive Lesley Horton has backed the Renters’ Rights Act but warned that small landlords will need practical support if the new regime is to work as intended.
Her intervention is notable because it comes in the final days before the Act takes effect on 1 May. Horton said the legislation has the potential to improve the private rented sector for both tenants and landlords, and rejected the idea that the two sides are locked in permanent conflict. But she also pointed to a sharp rise in complaints as the system adjusts.
Need the wider Ombudsman picture? Read Landlord Knowledge’s PRS Ombudsman guide for membership, complaint handling and the key compliance risks landlords should watch.
Complaint volumes are already moving
The Property Ombudsman said it received 58 percent more complaints in the four months from November 2025 to February 2026 than in the same period a year earlier, and linked that increase to the effect of rental reform. That does not mean every complaint was justified or every problem was caused by the new rules. It does show that friction is rising before the full framework is even live.
For landlords, that matters because complaint growth usually points to two things: more disputes, and less room for informal fixes. Once reforms are in force, paperwork, response times and agent oversight become harder to treat as back-office detail.
This follows Landlord Knowledge’s recent coverage of last-minute compliance checks before 1 May. Horton’s comments add a second message to that warning – not only do landlords need the right documents, they also need a process for dealing with complaints quickly when something goes wrong.
Agents will carry more weight under the new regime
Horton said agents will play an essential role in helping landlords stay compliant and maintain good landlord-tenant relationships. That may sound self-serving in a market where some landlords are questioning fees. But on one point she is plainly right: the administrative burden is rising, and many accidental or small-scale landlords will struggle if they try to absorb every rule change alone.
The more interesting angle is what happens next. If complaint volumes keep climbing after May, the pressure will not just fall on rogue operators. Ordinary landlords with weak systems could find themselves dragged into formal disputes that cost time, money and reputation.
That is especially relevant in issues such as pets, repairs and communication standards, which already sit close to the ombudsman system. Landlord Knowledge recently reported that pet disputes may reach court before the ombudsman route is fully in place, underlining how messy the transition period could be.
Readers can find the ombudsman service’s latest information here.
What this means for landlords
- If you self-manage: review complaint handling, repair logs and written communications before 1 May.
- If you use an agent: confirm who handles tenant disputes, response times and ombudsman-related issues in writing.
- Watch for: more formal complaints in the first months after the Act starts, even over routine issues.
- Bottom line: the cost of poor administration is likely to rise faster than the cost of good compliance.
Editor’s view
The strongest landlords under the new rules may not be the biggest. They may simply be the best organised. If complaint numbers are already climbing before launch, 1 May looks less like a switch-on date and more like the start of a stress test.
Author: Editorial Team – UK landlord & buy-to-let news, policy, and finance
Published: 28 April 2026
Sources: The Property Ombudsman
Related reading: Propertymark tells landlords to fix paperwork before 1 May
📘 Renters’ Rights Act: Complete Landlord Guide
Everything you need to know about the new rules – 1 May 2026
