Almost half (48%) of landlords have said they are unsure whether the introduction of a private rented sector ombudsman is a good idea, Landbay has found.

In its research of landlords, the mortgage platform found that 42% believed that the ombudsman was a good idea, with 10% stating that it was a bad idea.

The Government is proposing to create a private rented sector ombudsman as part of the renters’ reform bill, which landlords will be legally required to join. The bill had its first reading in the House of Commons in May, but it is not expected to pass into law until 2024 or even 2025.

The aim of the ombudsman is to ensure disputes between private renters and landlords are settled impartially, at a low cost and without going to court.

Those who supported the introduction of an ombudsman said that it would need to be impartial and that they would welcome timely resolution of disputes, rather than lengthy court cases.

However, those who opposed its introduction said that it would always side with the tenant and that it was just a money-making scheme.

Those who were unsure questioned whether the introduction of an ombudsman would speed up resolving disputes. If so, they said this would be a good thing, but Government-run departments are “very slow” according to respondents, and therefore another layer could worsen things, they added.

Managing director for intermediaries at Landbay, Paul Brett, said: “Our survey found uncertainty around the idea of a private rented sector ombudsman. On the positive side, it would be good if disputes could be quickly resolved without having to go to court, but there is some scepticism as to how quick this would be. It appears that more information is needed before such as scheme is created.”

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