Housing Ombudsman’s Annual Complaint Review shows signs of cautious optimism amid rising complaint volumes

23 September 2025

We have published our Annual Complaints Review 2024-25. This found complaints still rising, but some encouraging signs that landlord handling is improving.

There was a 2-percentage point fall in our overall maladministration rate, a 7% drop for complaint handling and a 9% decrease in fault handling anti-social behaviour.

There was also over 800 more findings made where the landlord took reasonable steps to put things right itself, rather than being ordered by us.

Complaints performance remains mixed across social landlords. There were 120 landlords where 75% or more complaints were upheld. There were also 131 landlords who received at least one finding of severe maladministration, some several times.

But we have seen 16 landlords significantly improve their performance this year and 2 landlords – North Devon Homes and Pickering and Feren Homes – where we investigated several complaints without finding any failings.

Despite this encouraging direction of travel, the overall maladministration rate still sits too high at 71%. Poor property condition continues to dominate our casework with a 43% increase in findings – far above the overall rise in investigations – with no improvement in the maladministration rate. Our findings show local authority landlords facing acute pressures handling housing complaints, alongside medium-sized housing associations.

The impact on residents’ lives and welfare of poor services and conditions is apparent in our investigations.

This includes a household living for 2 years with bin bags covering a hole in their living room ceiling with the risk of asbestos.

Another resident lived for 3 years without functioning heating and hot water.

And a child had their bedroom window boarded up for 4 years, with the family worried about excess cold.

Overall, we made 26,901 interventions to put things right, with 40% of compensation related to leaks, damp, and mould.

We encourage landlords to learn from this review. Our Centre for Learning has eLearning modules and workshops to give housing professionals free-to-access materials to improve services. The Centre for Learning also contains case studies, reports, podcasts and more on key topics the sector is facing.

Annual Complaints Review 2024-25

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “Governing bodies will determine whether complaints are seen as a threat or an opportunity. Our annual review provides them with a strategic moment to reflect on their organisation’s progress.

“Re-examination can be an unforgiving lens. But there are reoccurring lessons across thousands of complaints, which if addressed could prevent future service failure. Culture, communication, and data integrity are pivotal to the outcome of a complaint.

“This review shows the first signs of the sector’s complaint handling improving. It is from a high failure rate and focus cannot be diverted. Still, it shows some things are starting to work.

“But improvements are not universal and are being made quicker by some than others. Acute pressures remain for some social landlords, with the negative impact on the lives of some residents. This review is an opportunity to look afresh at how to improve practice, policy, and performance. And our proactive interventions with some landlords to promote learning from complaints will remain vital.

“Landlords work in a complex and changing environment. This will include more use of Artificial Intelligence by both landlords and residents in the complaints process. It also includes legal and regulatory changes.

“The advent of Awaab’s Law, a reformed Decent Homes Standard, and the Regulator’s Competence and Conduct Standard could transform housing management over the next decade.

“To ensure the success of these measures, landlords must continue to learn from complaints for the benefit of this and future generations.”