The landlord database and Ombudsman are coming. Be the agent who explains them

The parts of the Renters' Rights Act that landed on 1 May were the ones that changed daily practice: no more Section 21, periodic tenancies as standard, and a fixed advertised rent. The next phase is quieter but arguably bigger for the relationship between a landlord and their agent. A private rented sector database and a landlord Ombudsman are expected later this year, with some of the more complex provisions likely to run into 2027.

What is coming

Two things, broadly. A database of private landlords and their properties, intended to give councils and tenants a clearer picture of who is letting what. And an Ombudsman scheme giving tenants a route to redress that does not involve a court. Between them they add registration and accountability to a sector where, until now, a landlord could largely get on with it unobserved.

The detail is still settling, and any agent claiming to know exactly how it will work is guessing. That is worth saying plainly on your own website too, because landlords have long memories for confident advice that turned out wrong.

Why this is an opportunity, not just admin

Every landlord in your book is about to have the same handful of questions. Do I need to register? What does it cost? What happens if I don't? Does my agent handle this for me? They will ask someone. If your website answers plainly, you are the someone. If it does not, they will find an answer on a competitor's site, or on a landlord forum, and start wondering what else their agent has not mentioned.

This is the same pattern we saw with the tenant fees ban and with the electrical safety regulations. The agents who wrote a calm, factual page early were treated as the safe pair of hands for years afterwards. The ones who waited until the deadline were answering the phone instead.

What a good page looks like

Short, current and honest about uncertainty. Say what is confirmed, say what is still expected, and date the page so a reader knows how fresh it is. Set out what you will do on the landlord's behalf and what remains theirs, because that boundary is where disputes start. Avoid scare tactics: a landlord who feels frightened into action rarely thanks the person who frightened them, and the regulations are not frightening if you are already running things properly.

Then keep it updated as the detail firms up. A compliance page that still describes last year's rules does more harm than no page at all, which is why we wrote separately about keeping this material current without needing a solicitor on retainer.

The bigger point

Regulation keeps arriving, and it keeps arriving faster than most agency websites are updated. That is a nuisance if you think of your site as a brochure. It is an advantage if you think of it as the place your landlords go for answers, because every new rule is another reason for them to visit, and another chance to look like the professional in the relationship.

Our letting agent websites are built with landlord pages that are straightforward to keep current, and if you would like a view on what yours is missing, a free site review is the place to start.