Q&A with Eddie Hooker: what could an ombudsman scheme for landlords look like?
As the dust settles on the Queen’s Speech, property writer and editor of LandlordZONE, Nigel Lewis, sits down with Eddie Hooker, CEO of mydeposits.
What is Eddie’s take on the proposed ombudsman scheme for landlords? And how would it work?
The founder and CEO of the Hamilton Fraser Group shares his unique perspective, reflecting on insights gleaned from discussions with government connections.
Protect your deposit today
If you have taken a cash deposit, you must protect it in a government authorised scheme within 30 calendar days
The Queen’s Speech revealed some new detail about what the proposed ombudsman scheme for landlords in England is likely to look like when the initiative goes live, probably in 2024.
Most importantly, the decision has been made to operate a ‘single ombudsman’ to enable tenants to make complaints about their landlord.
But Eddie Hooker, CEO of Hamilton Fraser, says his discussions with government sources preparing the Renters’ Reform Bill have given him some additional insight into the ombudsman plans.
“Since the May 2022 Queen’s speech, we have a better idea of the direction of travel on this subject, the Government wants to improve the private rented sector and make it more robust and fairer for both landlords and tenants, so the looming Renters’ Reform Bill will set out how ministers plan to ‘level up’ renting and give more power to the tenant.”
Eddie says it’s clear that ministers want the sector to be more secure, and one output is to enable tenants to make complaints about their landlord to an independent body which would then make an adjudication and, if appropriate, an award.
Protect your deposit today
If you have taken a cash deposit, you must protect it in a government authorised scheme within 30 calendar days
“Having an independent ombudsman can take the heat out of the whole situation, but there is a lot of speculation about how that might work.
The proposed ‘single ombudsman’ could be an over-arching redress-style organisation dealing with a range of issues including property condition, fees and deposits that would be a bit like the insurance industry’s Financial Ombudsman.
But that would be a big ask in my view – what’s more likely would be a single governing body and then lots of smaller dedicated specialist suppliers doing the heavy lifting such as redress schemes like the Property Redress Scheme (PRS), administered by the Hamilton Fraser Group, or The Property Ombudsman (TPO). Or deposit schemes such as DPS, TDS or mydeposits, supplying services under its auspices.
But whatever happens, the Government is aiming to give tenants redress via an ombudsman scheme with common standards, approaches and consistency of decision making.
This is going to happen one way or another, but the devil will now be in the detail as the Government begins pulling the legislation together.”
Watch the full interview with Eddie Hooker above or on our YouTube channel to learn more analysis on what the future of the private rented sector could look like.
Protect your deposit today
If you have taken a cash deposit, you must protect it in a government authorised scheme within 30 calendar days
Author – Nigel Lewis, property writer and editor, LandlordZONE
Nigel Lewis is an award-winning property journalist and editor with a 28-year track record in national newspapers, online and in consumer magazines and trade media.
With 21 years spent covering property, including publishing a monthly magazine linked to the Channel 4 property show, Location Location Location and as property editor at the Daily Mail, Nigel has for the past two years been editor in chief at the UK’s leading landlord website, LandlordZONE, providing hot off the press property news and insights for the rental sector.
Acquired by the Hamilton Fraser Group in 2018 but maintaining its editorial independence, LandlordZONE has become one of the most visited landlord websites in the UK.