The social housing sector’s current head of the Housing Ombudsman is telling private landlords they have nothing to fear about an impending Ombudsman Service.

In his piece written on the Conservative Home website, Richard Blakeway says there must only be the one private rental sector Ombudsman service to make enforcement clear to landlords and tenants alike.

He believes many landlords are feeling that the introduction of the Ombudsman Service is only adding another level of red tape and considerable burden onto their shoulders, but Blakeway says they should not misunderstand the role of the service.

He writes: “Our decisions are impartial and rooted in fairness: around half of the cases we investigate are not upheld. This can be an effective way for the landlord to resolve a dispute where relationships with tenants have broken down. If something has gone wrong, the remedies are not punitive – they are simply aimed at putting the consumer back in the position they would have enjoyed had things been as they should. If requirements are not being met, surely it is better to learn through an Ombudsman decision than risk repeating the same mistakes?”

He does admit that for years he has argued that an Ombudsman service should be adapted for the private rental sector and he now welcomes the inclusion in the Renters Reform Bill.

However he is concerned that the proposed legislation could allow one and more redress schemes to be created for the sector.

Blakeway says the situation could become highly complex and fractious between many parties as the roles of freeholders, developers, agents, and landlords (both social and private), criss-cross a multitude of private, social, and home-ownership tenures.

He says these relationships can be complex and cites a study of a failed redress scheme that the government must take note of and not follow suit.

He writes: “Six years ago, ministers declared the system of housing redress broken. Then the proposal was to simplify and strengthen it, including consolidation through a single housing Ombudsman, providing a modern and agile response to a changing housing market. Yet today there are more bodies than ever. Consumers may have to approach at least seven different organisations to get their issues addressed. This may mean neighbours going down different routes – even for the same issue.”

He says this only adds even more confusion to both the provider and consumer who may have to join multiple schemes that offers no benefit whatsoever.