Rental complaints system for tenants proposed

Sajid Javid, the Housing Secretary, has released new plans over the weekend to create a simple complaints procedure for ‘consumers’ (tenants) to gain access to dispute resolution and compensation and indicating tenants should have “a clearer version of redress for their grievances.”

The PRS currently has no compulsory complaints system as there is in industries such as banking with the Financial Services Ombudsman and a two month consultation will consider areas such as:

• A single Housing Ombudsman
• Dispute resolution
• Compensation awards
• Register to name and shame ‘rogue’ landlords renting homes not fit for habitation
• If homes builders should be required to join an ombudsman scheme, following on our commitment to expand redress to tenants of private landlords

Sajid Javid said: “For too long, tenants and homeowners have navigated multiple complaints procedures to resolve disputes about everyday household repairs and maintenance.

“Fixing this housing crisis is about more than just building homes, it’s ensuring people have the answers available when something goes wrong.”

Hopefully this is not just an attempt to take everyone’s eye off the ball for the real fix which can only be building more homes.

In a addition if access to a complaints procedure is too easy then who is going to pay for malicious claims – Landlords?