Reporting a problem

This fact sheet is aimed at residents who need to report an issue to their landlord. This could be any problem, such as a repair, anti-social behaviour or a query about a charge you pay.

Reporting the problem to the right person and in the right way may assist in resolving the issue without the need for making a formal complaint.

Who to contact and when

Whatever the issue, it is always best to contact the right department as soon as possible after the problem or query arises. It is sometimes difficult to know who to contact, but there are some simple ways to find out:

  • Your landlord’s website will normally provide contact details for different issues, so you can check this if you have access to the internet.
  • Most landlords provide tenant and leaseholder handbooks, which should include contact information including email addresses and phone numbers. It should also have the 24 hr contact details for reporting emergency or urgent repairs.
  • There may be a named housing officer with responsibility for your address, in which case you could ask your housing officer who to report the issue to.
  • You could also call your landlord’s general customer service number (which is usually available on the website) and ask who you should report the issue to.

Evidence

It is important to keep a record of your report or request for a service, so emailing or writing a letter to report a problem or make an enquiry is often the best way to contact the landlord. Make sure you keep a copy so that you can refer back to this if necessary.

If a problem is urgent, it is more important to let the landlord know of the issue immediately, for example, a burst pipe. In this case, a phone call is the most effective way to let the landlord know. Always keep a note of what you said, the date and time, and any response the landlord gave.

Whatever the issue you are concerned about remember to give the landlord time to sort it out. If you are unsure of the landlord’s responsibilities, or the time it should take for it to resolve the issue, check the following documents for information about this:

  • Your tenancy agreement or lease.
  • The landlord’s policies and procedure, usually available on the landlord’s website.
  • The tenant or leaseholder handbook.