The Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code
Since April 2024, the Complaint Handling Code has been statutory. This means landlords must comply with its requirements by law.
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The Complaint Handling Code
The Complaint Handling Code (the Code) sets out best practice for landlords to handle resident complaints effectively. The Code helps to:
- create a positive complaints culture
- strengthen landlord-resident relationships
- ensure residents know their rights to complain
In April 2024, The Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023 made the Code a legal requirement for landlords to follow. We check their complaint procedures and responses comply.
Sections of the Code
We encourage landlords to follow our dispute resolution principles: be fair, put things right, and learn from outcomes.
The Code has 9 sections.
- Definition: What counts as a complaint.
- Exclusions: What landlords will not treat as a complaint.
- Accessibility: How to provide an accessible complaints service.
- Staff: Who should respond to complaints.
- Process: The 2 stages of a complaints procedure.
- Stages: Response timescales and extensions.
- Putting things right: How to consider resident impact and remedies.
- Self-assessment: How to assess against the Code each year.
- Scrutiny: How to appoint a Member Responsible for Complaints (MRC).
The Code in practice
The Code sets out:
- required complaint stages
- response timescales
- information to include in responses
The Code supports early resolution. This means landlords should try to resolve a complaint effectively while they are still within their own complaints procedure. Early resolution:
- stop issues escalating or getting worse
- reduces harm to residents
- save landlords time and resources
A resource for complaint handlers
Complaint handling teams should use the Code to:
- encourage involvement in complaint resolution
- take accountability for complaints
- strengthen decision-making
- ensure teams have proper resources and training
Using complaint data
Complaints are a vital learning tool. They let residents tell landlords when they are unhappy with a service or how someone treated them. Data from complaints can:
- show how services work
- identify organisational risks
- highlight themes and trends
- help improve services
If a landlord does not comply
We work with landlords to bring them into compliance with the Code. We have different powers at each stage.
How we bring landlords into compliance in casework
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Enquiry (complaint within a landlord’s complaint procedure)
When we receive evidence a landlord is not following the Code, we give them a chance to respond. If they do not, we issue a Complaint Handling Failure Notice (CHFN) and progress the case for investigation. We may issue a CHFN at this stage if:
- the landlord did not respond to a resident’s complaint within the timescales in the Code
- we ask the landlord to respond and it does not do this within the time we ask it to
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Investigation (requesting information)
We ask landlords to provide information so that we can investigate a complaint.
If the landlord does not provide information in time and does not respond to our requests, we will issue a Complaint Handling Failure Order (CHFO) and continue the investigation using the evidence available.
We will consider the landlord's cooperation as part of our investigation.
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After investigation (decision made)
When we investigate and make a decision, we can order the landlord to put things right within a set timescale. If the landlord does not follow our order or does not provide evidence to show that it has, we will issue a Complaint Handling Failure Order (CHFO).
We report CHFOs to the Regulator of Social Housing and publish them in our Annual Complaints Review.
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Compliance (annual submission)
Landlords must self-assess against the Code each year. If the landlord does not complete this or we find non-compliance and the landlord does not take action to put it right, we will issue a Complaint Handling Failure Notice (CHFN).
We may issue a CHFN at this stage if:
- a landlord does not submit an annual submission or send us the required documents
- we do not receive evidence the landlord meets the Code’s requirements for scrutiny, oversight, policy, or practice
We publish details of all CHFNs in a regular Annual Complaints Review report and share this information with the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).
Our Duty to Monitor
We make sure all landlords meet the Code’s standards, regardless of size or type. We can check landlords follow the Code without investigating a complaint.
For queries about Code compliance or annual submissions, you can email the team at compliance@housing-ombudsman.org.uk.
Annual submissions and self-assessments
Each year, landlords must complete a form to:
- measure their complaint handling performance
- self-assess against the Code
- demonstrate compliance
Landlords must send us:
- an annual complaint handling and service improvement report
- a response to the report from the governing body
- evidence of website publication (or suitable alternative)
Annual submissions form
The annual submissions form lets landlords report how well they’re meeting the statutory Complaint Handling Code, ensuring their performance is reviewed and kept compliant each year.
Register for an account to save and return to the form before submitting.
Annual submission guidance
The guidance explains what landlords need to provide in their annual submission, including key organisational information and confirmation of compliance with each part of the Code.
It outlines the requirements, process, and consequences of non‑submission, helping landlords understand exactly what’s expected.
Self-assessment form
This self-assessment form should be completed by the complaints officer and it must be reviewed and approved by the landlord’s governing body at least annually.
Self-assessment guidance
The purpose of the self-assessment is to set out how landlords demonstrate their complaint handling service complies with the provisions of the Code. In addition, the self-assessment supports landlords to inform residents about service provision.
Complaint handling resources
Centre for Learning
Explore good practice through our Centre for Learning. Landlords can access CPD-accredited courses, e-learning modules, webinars, podcasts, and case studies.
Complaint handling
How the Code supports residents
The Code requires landlord to have a 2-stage complaints process with set response timescales. This helps residents understand when to contact us for help if their landlord is not following their complaint procedure, or the Code requirements.