The Housing Ombudsman Service, which is expected to become the main regulatory body for landlords following the passage of the Tenants' Rights Bill, said those who ignore its decisions will have to repay rent to tenants through rent repayment orders.
The committee's director, Richard Blakeway, made the comments yesterday during an evidence session in parliament before the Housing Select Committee, which included Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook. 
The Tenants' Rights Bill includes proposals to consider an entirely new mechanism for tenants to complain to and receive redress from landlords when their tenancy agreement goes wrong, and the Housing Ombudsman Service will He is widely expected to play this role.
During committee questioning, Blakeway said one area the bill does not address is enforcement, particularly what happens if a landlord ignores the ombudsman's “remedies” when a tenant files a complaint. , he said.
repayment of rent
Mr Blakeway said rather than go after non-compliant landlords, local authorities are finding that they do not own licensed properties within areas subject to selective or statutory regulation, as in the current case. It suggested that landlords should be subject to rent repayment orders through the Tier 1 court system. HMO scheme.
This is an extension of this idea, as the bill already includes measures to impose RROs on landlords who do not sign up to the Ombudsman, and in London the amount could reach tens of thousands of pounds.
reaction
Sean Hooker, Head of Relief at PRS, said: “The 'big stick' approach is not the whole story. Of course, landlords who seriously violate laws and regulations need to be cracked down, but most tenant complaints are small issues that can have a big impact on their quality of life.” influence.
“They can't wait weeks or months for mismanagement and enforcement to be considered in a distorted process. They just want to make things right.
“So I agree that we need a strong framework to help landowners step in and take the right action before things get worse.
“It is essential that this is put in place before the Ombudsman is released. Landlords and tenants must have access to support and advice, access to mediation and private solutions, and signposting to the support available. .
“The Agency Relief Scheme is already doing this at the moment and we are keen to see these services available to tenants who deal directly with landlords.”
The Housing Ombudsman Service is now the main regulator of the social housing sector.
