The scheme will allow participants to access a service, which will try to facilitate a swift and effective early resolution of landlord-tenant disputes.
Tenants will be able to raise complaints to the independent redress scheme, where a case assessor will work to encourage early resolution of disputes or arrive at decisions to provide fair resolution to a wide range of tenancy issues.
The pilot will be administered by HF Resolution, which runs the Property Redress Scheme (PRS), and the TDS Tenancy Redress Service over the course of the next 12 months until March 31, 2023.
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NRLA said its members can approach the association directly if they would like to get involved in the project.
The launch is in response to previous government announcements confirming that the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities (DLUHC) will introduce legislation making it mandatory for private landlords to sign up to a redress scheme.
“For some time, we have stressed how important it is that an effective system of redress be established to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants. This pilot will give NRLA members the chance to demonstrate their commitment to excellent customer service and play a pivotal part in the development of a future, mandatory redress scheme in which both landlords and tenants can have confidence,” Ben Beadle, NRLA chief executive, said.
“We have run a successful government authorised redress scheme for property agents since 2014 and our dedicated tenancy mediation service helps resolve mainly end-of-tenancy disputes during these difficult times. We are, therefore, delighted to work with Ben and his team, to provide redress direct to NRLA landlord members and their tenants,” Tim Frome, director of HF Resolution, said.
“We worked closely with the NRLA to design the pilot and to ensure it is right for both landlords and tenants. Landlords using us for the pilot will benefit from our experienced and qualified team, who know the sector inside out. What we will learn from working with NRLA landlords and the experience gained during the pilot will be vital in guiding the government when they make landlord redress mandatory,” Frome said.
