PRS Landlord Ombudsman and Pet Complaints in England

What the PRS Landlord Ombudsman Will Do

The Renters' Rights Act 2025 created the framework for a Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman — a redress body that will offer binding dispute resolution for tenant complaints against private landlords. Once operational, landlords will be required to register, and tenants will be able to escalate complaints (including pet request disputes) to the Ombudsman before going to court.

The Ombudsman is expected to launch as part of the Phase 2 implementation of the Private Rented Sector Database, currently projected for 2028. Until then, it does not exist as an operational body.

The PRS Database: Separate but Connected

The PRS Database is a planned central register of all private landlords and their properties in England. Phase 1 (expected to begin before the Ombudsman goes live) will require landlord registration and basic property details. Phase 2 will integrate Ombudsman membership, compliance records, and potentially pet consent documentation.

Some landlords confuse the PRS Database with current pet request compliance. The database will not affect the mechanics of the 28-day pet request process, which is already in force under Section 16A of the Housing Act 1988. When the database does launch, landlords who have maintained proper compliance records from the start will be better positioned than those scrambling to reconstruct them.

What Works Right Now

Until the Ombudsman launches, the only formal route for a tenant to challenge a pet refusal is the County Court under Section 16B(5). This means:

• There is no informal pre-court mediation body for pet disputes specifically
• The county court process involves issuing proceedings, filing evidence, and attending a hearing
• A claim seeking specific performance is a non-money claim; the current County Court issue fee is £387. If the tenant also claims damages, a separate money-claim fee applies, plus potential legal costs.

For landlords, this means that your written decision and compliance file are the evidence that will be assessed by a judge. There is no Ombudsman to mediate before it reaches that stage.

Preparing for the Ombudsman

When the PRS Landlord Ombudsman does become operational, its dispute resolution process will almost certainly examine the same evidence a court would: your written decision, the grounds for refusal, the statutory timeline, and your compliance records. The standard of record keeping that protects you in court will also protect you at Ombudsman adjudication.

The practical step is straightforward: manage every pet request as if it will be reviewed by an independent body. Date your documents, keep copies of everything, and make sure your written decisions state objective grounds. Whether the reviewer is a county court judge or a future Ombudsman, the evidence requirements are likely to be the same.

The Tenant Pet Requests guide includes a compliance audit trail and decision log that meet both current court standards and the expected Ombudsman framework.

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