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Which Ombudsman for social housing complaints?

Explore which housing complaints are for us to consider and what’s for the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO).

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The Housing Ombudsman Service

We investigate complaints from residents about landlords that provide social housing. This includes:

  • local authorities (councils)
  • housing associations
  • ALMOs (arm's length management organisations)
  • co-operatives
  • Abbeyfields

We investigate complaints about landlord's housing management. For example:

  • property condition and repairs
  • charges
  • complaint handling
  • antisocial behaviour affecting residents in their home

We only consider complaints for investigation where we have evidence the issues have been through your landlord’s complaint procedure.

When to bring a complaint to us >

Complaints referred to the Housing Ombudsman

We consider complaints about housing associations and local housing authority landlords.

Main issue Things the Housing Ombudsman investigates
Leasehold services
  • shared ownership and sales processes for leasehold properties
  • hared ownership stair-casing
  • full ownership and sales processes for leasehold properties owned by housing associations
  • right to buy and right to acquire for tenants of housing associations
  • repair responsibilities under the lease
  • mortgage rescue schemes
  • leasehold services provided by the landlord
Moving to a property
  • transfer applications that are outside Housing Act 1996 Part 6
  • type of tenancy offered
  • mutual exchange
  • decision to renew a fixed tenancy
  • decants (including those that are dealt with via (the local housing authority's) allocation policy)
  • mobility schemes
Rent and service charges
  • rent or service charges
Occupancy rights
  • terms and conditions of occupancy rights
  • succession
  • assignment
  • ending a tenancy (for example notice periods)
  • abandonment of property
Property condition – repairs and improvements
  • condition of the property when first let (eg void works)
  • responsive repairs
  • planned maintenance or cyclical works
  • improvement works carried out by landlord or tenant
  • rechargeable repairs
  • disabled adaptations
Tenant behaviour
  • antisocial behaviour
  • noise nuisance
  • harassment
Estate management
  • cleaning or repairs of communal areas
  • boundary issues
  • grounds maintenance
  • parking linked to occupancy agreement
  • parking
  • use of communal areas
Complaint handling
  • the landlord’s handling of a complaint in their complaint process, including delays
Compensation
  • home loss or disturbance payments
  • improvements carried out by the tenant
  • payment for damage to property or tenants' belongings
  • discretionary payments

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The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) consider complaints about a local authorities’ wider housing activities. This includes:

  • how it handles a homelessness application
  • its statutory duty to provide homelessness advice and, in some cases, accommodation
  • the operation of a council’s housing allocation scheme and policies, including assessments of priority or banding given to an applicant applying for a home in its borough

The LGSCO also considers complaints about other services the council provides, for example:

  • housing benefit applications
  • bin collections
  • planning applications
  • occupational therapy assessments and social care

You can visit their website for further information.

Home - Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

If you’re unhappy with a council service you have been provided, you should make a complaint to your local authority in the first instance and use its complaint procedure before contacting the LGSCO.

Complaints referred to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Unless stated otherwise the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman considers complaints about local authorities.

Main issue Things the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigates
Housing allocations under Housing Act 1996 Part 6
  • Applications for re-housing that meet the reasonable preference criteria (dealt with by the local housing authority or any other body acting on its behalf, which could include a housing association). Includes complaints about:
    • Assessment of such applications, the award of points, banding or a decision that the application does not qualify for reasonable preference
    • Operation of choice based lettings schemes and about the suitability of accommodation offered under those schemes.
Homelessness under Housing Act 1996 Part 7
  • applications for assistance under the homelessness legislation (dealt with by the local housing authority or any other body acting on its behalf, which could include a housing association). Includes complaints about:
    • homelessness advice and homelessness prevention activities
    • how applications are dealt with and decisions about eligibility for and allocation of interim and temporary accommodation
    • the condition or suitability of temporary accommodation
General housing advice
Housing benefit
Housing improvement grants
  • applications for mandatory and discretionary housing improvement grants. Includes complaints about:
    • provision advice, processing of applications, preparation of schedules of work, payment of grant and other decisions on grant eligibility and entitlement
    • actions of social services occupational therapy services with regard to assessment and eligibility for disabled facilities grant
Antisocial behaviour
  • antisocial behaviour which does not fall within the remit of a social landlord.
Noise nuisance
  • reports of statutory noise and other nuisance to environmental health services
Sale or disposal of land on housing estates
  • applications or requests to buy parcels of land owned by local authorities
  • sales processes for properties owned by local authorities
  • right to buy and right to acquire for tenants of local authorities
Planning and building control at properties owned by a social landlord
Adult social care

Joint investigations

We sometimes see cases where there’s overlap between which Ombudsman can investigate a complaint about housing. In some cases, we can conduct a joint investigation with the LGSCO. We have a Memorandum of Understanding.

Your landlord should set out which Ombudsman you can take your complaint to in its stage 2 response to you at the end of its complaint process. In some cases, we make this decision when a case is referred to us, and we will notify the LGSCO.

What is a Memorandum of Understanding?

The Localism Act 2011 introduced changes to what housing complaints the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) and the Housing Ombudsman will investigate. We made a joint agreement, also known as a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). This sets out each Ombudsman’s role and what housing related complaints should be referred to each service.

Which countries can use the Housing Ombudsman?

The Housing Ombudsman deals with complaints from residents that live in social housing in England.

 

Social housing complaints Wales

If you live in Wales and want to complain about your social housing landlord, contact Public Services Ombudsman for Wales:

Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae
Pencoed
CF35 5LJ

0300 790 0203

ask@ombudsman.wales

You can find more information about social housing complaints in Wales on the Welsh Government website Make a complaint about your council house or housing association home | GOV.WALES.

Social housing complaints Scotland

If you live in Scotland are not happy with your social landlord and the service they provide, there are steps you can take.

Visit the Scottish Housing Regulator website for more information on what to do, including:

  • ask your social landlord for their complaints policy
  • contact the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman

You may find these useful 

Our jurisdiction

This page is for residents who are thinking about bringing a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman so you can check whether a complaint can be considered.

Our jurisdtiction (opens in a new tab)

Who can use the Housing Ombudsman Service

Use this page to see who can use the Housing Ombudsman Service.

Who can use the Housing Ombudsman Service (opens in a new tab)