Housing Ombudsman publishes new further investigations process to help landlords detect and fix problems early

30 October 2025

We have published our revised further investigation process. This aims to allow landlords to resolve issues earlier without the need for a full investigation.

We have published our revised further investigation process. This aims to allow landlords to resolve issues earlier without the need for a full investigation.

It allows us to intervene when we see a landlord performing less well than others on a series of key metrics.

The new process is designed to improve landlord accountability for delivering better services, helping to prevent complaints. It uses a tiered approach that encourages landlords to detect and fix problems early. Each tier in the process brings a higher level of scrutiny.

Landlords will be asked at Tier 1 to provide us with a response plan of how they are resolving the issues we see in our casework.

At Tier 2 we follow up with landlords if there is a continued lack of improvement, or if their performance based on our casework gets worse, despite having previously undergone Tier 1 engagement.

Tier 3 is our full investigation where we will identify the root causes for landlord’s poor performance. We will make recommendations for improvement through a full report.

We maintain contact with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) during this process, following our Memorandum of Understanding. We also share information with other stakeholders when appropriate, such as the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Building Safety Regulator.

You can read the full process, including how we escalate between tiers, on our further investigations page.

Further investigation reports used to be known as Paragraph 49 reports or special investigation reports. We have amended this wording to be consistent with the Housing Ombudsman Scheme.

We have been trialing this new model with several landlords. The open Tier 1 investigations we have currently are:

A2Dominion
Amplius
Hexagon Housing Association
London Borough of Wandsworth
Norwich City Council

We have closed several investigations in recent months following a Tier 1 intervention. For these landlords, we will continue to monitor performance to make sure we see improvements. They are:

London Borough of Ealing
London Borough of Waltham Forest
Notting Hill Genesis
Richmond Housing Partnership
Wandle

More details, including learning statements for these landlords, are below. Our investigation into the London Borough of Ealing was recently closed and a learning statement will be provided with our next update.

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “Complaints are vital tools for learning and continuous improvement.

“Our casework sometimes reveals similar service failings repeatedly happening. It’s important to look at what sits behind a complaint and avoid treating them as isolated incidents. Joining the dots between complaints can inform targeted interventions, whether those relate to policies, processes, people or systems.

“This new approach to further investigations enables us to engage landlords earlier, sharing our insights and encouraging the landlord to identify how it can prevent service failings reoccurring.

“This proactive approach to learning from complaints should deliver better outcomes for residents and landlords, improving services, strengthening trust and preventing complaints. This is integral to embedding a positive complaints culture across the sector.”

London Borough of Waltham Forest

We opened an investigation due to a high maladministration rate (79.5%) and severe maladministration rate (11%). Poor handling of complaints and repairs, particularly leaks, damp and mould, were consistent themes in our casework.

In the cases we reviewed, we saw insufficient compensation, delays in issuing complaints responses, and a dismissive tone in some letters. We also found delays in resolving repairs, particularly leaks. The landlord also showed difficulties in accessing its homes and incomplete or brief repair records.

Following engagement with the landlord, we closed this investigation because the landlord provided a Housing Complaints Improvement Plan to track and monitor delivery through 2025/26.

Landlord learning statement:

The Ombudsman’s findings, including instances of service failure and maladministration, particularly around leaks, damp and mould, and appropriate redress for residents provided valuable insight into areas requiring improvement.

Combined with resident feedback and our own analysis, these findings confirmed the need to strengthen internal processes, apply policies consistently, and improve the quality of our responses.

We also recognised that Stage 2 complaints require additional resources and oversight to ensure a timely and effective resolution. This learning has shaped a targeted improvement plan focused on fairness, transparency, and accountability.

We have implemented a wide-ranging programme to embed best practice and drive continuous improvement. Key actions include:

staff training and awareness: Delivered comprehensive training on complaint handling, effective communication, policy application, and vulnerability awareness.

policy and guidance updates: Revised Stage 1 and Stage 2 response templates and updated staff guidance to ensure consistency, empathy, and quality in correspondence.

quality assurance: Introduced a new process to review complaint responses and embed learning from Ombudsman findings and upheld cases.

resourcing and governance: Strengthened resourcing at Stage 2 to improve response times and enhance governance and oversight.

service delivery: Full rollout of our new Damp and Mould Policy (including leak management in blocks) and accompanying procedures, updated Compensation Guidance and tailored staff training.

resident involvement: Established a Residents’ Complaints Review Group to provide independent feedback, and shape future improvements.

These measures are already making a real difference:

our overall maladministration rate has decreased from 83% in 2023/24 to 73% in 2024/25

staff confidence in handling complex complaints has grown with a fall in our complaints handling maladministration rate from 91% in 2023/24 to 77% in 2024/25.
residents are reporting clearer, more timely communication with evidence of an improving rate of satisfaction based on transactional survey data

Notting Hill Genesis

We opened an investigation due to an increased maladministration rate and high amount of compensation ordered to residents (£194,006) in a 12-month period.

Themes in our casework included failings with the landlord’s handling of repairs, complaints, and resident vulnerabilities. Communication with residents was a consistent cross-cutting theme. There were also findings regarding the landlord’s handling of ASB reports. This included poor communication and a lack of risk assessment and action plans.

In repairs there was often delays to completing the works, a lack of communication or updates, and poor record keeping of inspections, completed works or any follow ups needed. There were also challenges around coordinating and sourcing contractors.

The landlord’s complaint handling saw delayed responses, extended complaint stages, and responses that did not fully address the complaint points.

Its challenges around resident vulnerabilities included a failure to check if residents had adequate support, delayed responses despite known vulnerabilities, and individual needs not considered when deciding on temporary relocation.

Following engagement with the landlord, we closed this investigation because the landlord has demonstrated awareness of the themes identified in our casework and is taking steps to address them. Our casework data indicates the changes made by the landlord are having a positive impact with its maladministration rate reducing.

Landlord learning statement

We appreciate the concerns raised by the Housing Ombudsman regarding the increased number of maladministration findings resulting from resident complaints.

In tackling repairs, new measures and monitoring processes have seen a 43% reduction in overdue repairs, while repair satisfaction is up 9%. We continue to drive these improvements through the appointment of new contractors and our preparations for Awaab’s Law.

To better support vulnerable residents, we are now identifying and recording service adjustments so we can tailor our service to specific needs. Since this began in July, we have updated more than 5,000 records and this work is ongoing.

New anti-social behaviour and hate crime policies are in place, and we have improved the way our systems record incidents. A review of our end-to-end process has introduced senior manager oversight of all incidents and there has been clear improvement in our case handling.

Our relocation policy was reviewed in January to ensure it best meets the needs of our residents, and we continue to learn from the experience of those who are displaced from their homes for any reason.

Finally, the creation of a centralised complaints service in 2024 has driven positive change and seen a significant reduction in findings of severe maladministration. Our residents are the ones who suffer when our service falls short, so we have brought them into our learning reviews so we can learn vital lessons so issues aren’t repeated.

RHP 

We opened our investigation following high maladministration rate (89%) and several severe maladministration findings (9). We found the high maladministration rate in contractor management, knowledge and information management, damp and mould, and how it kept residents informed.

Following engagement with the landlord we closed our investigation as the landlord had identified and taken steps to resolve these issues. It also demonstrated improved awareness of the issues and a desire to prevent them happening again. 

Landlord learning statement

We welcome the Ombudsman’s thorough and constructive approach and their reflection that we have demonstrated a clear understanding of where things may not have worked as intended in the past, and that we have used these insights to build a more effective and responsive service for our residents. 

The thematic insight gained from both resident complaints and the Ombudsman’s review has provided valuable assurance that the changes we have implemented are making a positive impact.

This includes the transition to our new in-house repairs service, which launched on 1 October 2025, with the aim of delivering more consistent quality, increased accountability, and improved customer care. Feedback from our engagement with the Ombudsman has reinforced the importance of transparency, early intervention, and continuous learning within our organisation, and will be used to further improve services and the customer experience.

We value the Ombudsman’s signposting to resources, and have built those additional learnings into our action plans and team development plans. 

We are confident our new service model will deliver sustained improvements for residents. We remain committed to acting swiftly where issues arise and maintaining an open and reflective dialogue with our residents and the Ombudsman.

Wandle

We opened an investigation because its maladministration rate was over 89%. This landlord also reported its Tenant Satisfaction Measure for complaint handling in 2023-24 was 12.6%. Poor complaint handling was a consistent theme in our casework.

In the cases we reviewed, we found complaint responses lacking detail, a failure to resolve outstanding issues and completing agreed actions, insufficient compensation, and delays in issuing final response letters.

Following engagement with the landlord, we closed this investigation because the landlord recognised and responded to the issues identified. It has an improvement plan with timescales and oversight and scrutiny arrangements.

Landlord learning statement

During 2023/24 we identified that improvements were needed to our complaint handling service following a high maladministration rate, and a disappointing complaint-handling TSM score.

We saw that our complaint responses lacked sufficient detail, and were sometimes issued without addressing all problems raised. Where we recognised issues, we weren’t robustly completing agreed actions. We weren’t always considering the full circumstances and impact on the resident, and compensation offered wasn’t sufficient. Residents weren’t reliably having their complaint acknowledged and responded to inside acceptable timescales.

Our detailed complaint handling improvement plan included a range of actions:

we recruited an experienced team of Complaints Officers supported by a Complaint Improvement Manager.

ensured all colleagues undertook relevant training including relating to the Housing Ombudsman Code.

all complaint investigating colleagues received training relating to compensation for customers with a vulnerability, disability or a circumstance that results in the situation being particularly impactful on them or their household.

we used the Knowledge and Information Management Spotlight report to assess against the standards contained in it, which led to several changes including: how we ask about and record adjustments and additional assistance, and how we maintain good record keeping throughout the investigation.

we implemented a new Reasonable Adjustments and Additional Assistance policy to provide further guidance in supporting residents.

strengthened our Stage 2 investigations which all involve a senior management review of these cases.

introduced a resolution steering group made up of Board members and customers to review complaints performance.

we enhanced the functionality of our CRM system to track actions arising from complaints and the delivery of them.

we used data and insight from complaints to inform and contribute to our repairs service re-design that is underway.

The delivery of the first stages of our detailed improvement plan has already started to have a positive impact for our residents. Whilst there are still changes to come the centralisation of the complaints team is helping deliver improvements in the way we acknowledge triage and respond to complaints. As of September 2025, we have responded to 96% of stage 1 complaints over the past 3 months in time, and 98% of stage 2 complaints in time. Our complaint handling TSM score has improved since 2024 and we expect this to continually climb, as we see trust in the service improve with our residents.