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Is the landlord ombudsman a landlord association?
By the VoxaMTD team. Last verified 31 October 2026
No. The Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman will deal with tenant complaints about landlords, free to tenants, and its decisions are binding. A landlord association is a paid membership body that advises and represents landlords.
Membership of the Ombudsman will be compulsory for private landlords in England with assured or regulated tenancies, and councils will be able to act against landlords who fail to join. Belonging to a landlord association does not replace this, and the roadmap gives 2028 for membership.
An association, by contrast, is optional. The NRLA says it offers expert advice, quality-assured resources, discounts from partners and engagement with decision-makers on landlords' behalf. Landlords may find an association useful for guidance on how to handle a complaint, but the association is not the body that will decide it. Keep your own record of every tenant complaint and your replies.
Read next
- What is Landlord ombudsman? →
- Landlord Associations in the UK: What They Offer →
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- Evidence export →
Sources
- GOV.UK: Guide to the Renters' Rights Act
- GOV.UK: Implementing the Renters' Rights Act 2025: Our roadmap for reforming the Private Rented Sector
- NRLA: Home