How to Complain About Your Housing Association

Repairs that never get done, damp that keeps coming back, calls that go unanswered: if your housing association or council isn't sorting a problem, you have the right to complain, and a clear route to take it further if they don't put it right.

Here's how the process works in England, with notes for Wales and Scotland.

Step 1: Report The Problem First

A complaint is for when something has gone wrong with how your landlord has handled a problem. If you haven't reported the repair or issue yet, do that first and give them a chance to fix it. Keep a note of when you reported it and any reference number.

Step 2: Make A Formal Complaint

Every social landlord must have a complaints policy, usually on its website. Contact them by phone, email, online form or letter, and say clearly that you're making a formal complaint.

• Explain what's gone wrong, with dates.
• Say what you want them to do to put it right.
• Include photos and copies of letters or emails if you have them.

In England, landlords must follow the Housing Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code. Usually there are two stages:

• Stage 1: they should acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and respond within 10 working days of acknowledging it.
• Stage 2: if you're not happy with the answer, ask for it to be escalated. They should respond within 20 working days.

Sometimes they need longer, but they should tell you why and when to expect an answer.

Step 3: Go To The Housing Ombudsman

If you've been through your landlord's complaints process and you're still not happy, or they're not responding, you can take it to the Housing Ombudsman. It's free and independent, and it deals with complaints about both housing associations and councils as landlords.

• You can usually go to the Ombudsman once your landlord has given its final response.
• Contact them within 12 months of that final response.
• The Ombudsman can order your landlord to apologise, carry out work, pay compensation or change how it does things.

Damp And Mould: Awaab's Law

Social landlords in England must now investigate and fix dangerous damp and mould within set timescales, under what's known as Awaab's Law. If damp or mould is affecting your health, say so clearly when you report it, and complain if the deadlines aren't met.

Urgent Safety Problems

For something dangerous that your landlord isn't dealing with, such as no heating in winter, exposed wiring or a serious leak, you can also contact your council's environmental health team.

Wales And Scotland

In Wales, complaints that your landlord doesn't resolve go to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales. In Scotland, they go to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. Both are free, and both expect you to use your landlord's complaints process first.

Keep A Record

1. Dates you reported the problem, and reference numbers.
2. Names of anyone you spoke to.
3. Photos, ideally dated.
4. Copies of every email and letter.

A clear record makes your complaint, and any Ombudsman case, much stronger.

Check How Your Landlord Handles Complaints

Every landlord in our landlord directory has a profile showing, where published, how many complaints it gets, how many it answers on time, and its Housing Ombudsman record. If you're thinking of swapping, it's worth checking the other tenant's landlord too. You can also rate your own landlord to help other tenants know what to expect.

To see how landlords compare on complaints, repairs and tenant satisfaction, check our landlord league table. It ranks housing associations and councils in England and Scotland using official figures, including each one's Housing Ombudsman record.

The Short Answer

Report the problem, then make a formal complaint to your landlord and follow its two stages. If it's still not resolved, take it to the Housing Ombudsman in England, or the ombudsman for Wales or Scotland. Keep a record of everything along the way.