The Government has announced proposals for all UK landlords to join a redress scheme. Landlords who fail to join this scheme will face fines of up to £5,000.

James Brokenshire, the current Housing Minister, wishes to create a new housing complaints resolution service, where disputes between landlords and tenants can be resolved. This would be on the understanding that all other avenues have been exhausted.

This proposal is running parallel with the recent Homes(Fitness for Human Habitation)Act 2018, which has now given tenants new powers to sue landlords should their accommodation not meet basic health and hygiene standards.

The idea of the scheme is for tenants and landlords to resolve a dispute that has arisen as a result of a defect, or issue in their property, which would render it unsafe, uninhabitable, or unhygienic.

At this stage, the redress scheme legislation is still a proposal, but it is expected to become law in the future.