Repairs
On this page
About repairs
Repairs and property condition refers to the physical state, quality, and functionality of a home. When landlords do not resolve issues, they can seriously affect a resident’s comfort, wellbeing, and quality of life.
This page gives you clear, practical guidance. It will help you to understand your responsibilities, know what to expect, and resolve repair issues sooner.
Guidance
Landlord expectations
Use this guide to understand what’s expected when handling reports of repairs.
It gives clear steps to manage cases effectively and meet the standards set out in the Complaint Handling Code.
Resident support guide
Use this guide to make the complaints process easier and clearer.
It will help you understand your rights, know what steps to take, and get practical advice on repairs.
Reports
Spotlight report repairs and maintenance
This report calls for a fundamental shift from treating houses as buildings to viewing them as homes and rebuilding the trust that's critically missing between landlords, residents, and contractors.
It highlights issues such as:
- poor communication
- inadequate complaint handling
- lack of control for residents
Spotlight report on attitudes, respect, and rights
This report examines vulnerability in social housing, highlighting the need for landlords to develop human-centric policies.
It features case studies from our work that provide practical learning on topics including reasonable adjustments, discrimination, contact restrictions and complaints handling.
Learning from severe maladministration
Explore a collection of reports that reveal the most serious failings we see in landlord services. These reports highlight recurring issues in repair complaints such as hate building safety, communication, and Awaab's Law.
Use this collection to learn from real cases, understand what went wrong, and apply practical lessons to improve your own services. Browse the full set of reports to find the topics most relevant to you.
Landlord training
Repairs and maintenance training
Effective repairs handling builds trust between landlords and residents.
This training gives you the skills to help you improve how your organisation manages repairs.
Our training helps you:
- understand the findings and recommendations from our Spotlight report on repairs and maintenance.
- learn how using data and analysis can lead to better outcomes for residents.
- explore insights from reports and follow-up learning, including access to a virtual classroom for deeper understanding
- explore a range of scenario-based learning
Choose from in-depth eLearning courses, quick microlearning modules, real case studies, and expert podcasts.
Landlord Learning Hub
Your free training platform from the Centre for Learning
The Learning Hub gives you easy access to expert training designed for member landlords.
Create your account today and start using a wide range of resources to strengthen your complaint handling and meet the Code’s requirements.
Podcast
Repairs and maintenance playlist
Hear practical insights on repairs and maintenance from the people doing the work.
In this playlist, representatives from member landlords share their experiences, lessons learned, and honest reflections following our Spotlight report. Their discussions offer real examples, useful ideas, and fresh thinking on tackling maintenance challenges in social housing.
Case studies
No maladministration
We found the landlord responded appropriately to repairs and maintenance requirements despite being limited by a Right to Buy application.
What happened:
- resident reported issues with damp and mould
- the landlord acted quickly by arranging a survey
- the landlord gave recommendations on how to reduce condensation
- it continued to address emergency repairs and maintained clear communication with the resident about their limitations
- once the resident's application was withdrawn, they resumed general maintenance work
Severe maladministration
Our investigation found that the landlord did not complete roof repairs within a reasonable timescale. This delay resulted in ongoing water ingress, causing damage to the resident's property.
What happened:
- the landlord's communication with the resident was poor
- failed to provide clear updates or resolutions
- the resident had to repeatedly chase the landlord for action, which caused significant distress and inconvenience
- the landlord failed to provide a stage 1 complaint response
- its stage 2 response acknowledged errors and promised remedial actions, but these were not completed within the promised timeline
- inadequate record-keeping caused confusion about what steps had been taken to address the repairs
Resident information
Resident support guide
Use this collection of support guide to make the complaints process easier and clearer.
They will help you understand your rights, know what steps to take, and get practical advice on all aspects of complaints.
These resources will give you the confidence to raise issues and get them resolved.
When to get help from us
Not sure when to contact the Housing Ombudsman?
This page explains the right time to get help. It shows what steps you need to take first, what we can and cannot look at, and how we can support you if your landlord has not resolved your complaint.
Use it to understand your options and make sure your complaint reaches the right place.