How we request information
What is an information request?
An information request is when we ask the landlord to provide us with information about a complaint to enable us to carry out our investigation. We make decisions based on the evidence available to us.
Information we might ask for
The Housing Ombudsman Scheme sets out that members have an obligation to provide any evidence requested of it for us to carry out an investigation of the complaint. We may ask to see:
- the tenancy agreement
- a copy of the resident’s complaint and any responses provided
- repair records
- policies and procedures (specific to the issue)
- compensation and complaints policy
- correspondence with the resident or contractors
- specific information about the complaint issues, such as survey and inspection reports
We may also ask to:
- interview landlord staff
- get information from third parties
All requested information must be provided within 3 weeks of the request being made.
Changes to the way we request information
On 7 May 2024, we changed the way we request evidence from landlords.
After listening to landlord feedback and to help us achieve faster determinations, our initial request for evidence will now be standardised. This means we will ask for specific evidence, depending on the category of complaint referred to by the Ombudsman.
We will request a set amount of evidence before the case is progressed to an investigator or adjudicator (caseworker) for investigation. If required, we will then ask for any additional evidence needed, based on the individual case.
On all cases the landlord must now provide:
- the occupancy agreement, including all terms and conditions, and resident handbook
- current rent charge and rent charge for the years relevant to the complaint issue
- a brief description of the property
- details of any resident vulnerabilities or relevant circumstances recorded by the landlord, including safeguarding or other referrals
- all formal complaint correspondence, including the resident’s complaints and each of the landlord’s formal responses
This will improve the process of getting a complaint through triage to a caseworker and improve the quality of evidence for us to consider.
We have provided guidance below for landlords to complete as part of their evidence return.
When we request evidence, we will also let landlords know if we have assessed the case as high risk. You can find out more about our approach to assessing case risk, by referring to our allocation policy.
If a case has been referred to us and is awaiting determination, landlords should continue working proactively with the resident to resolve a dispute.
Housing Ombudsman information requests: A guide for landlords
We ask that landlords follow the directions below when the Housing Ombudsman Service makes a request for information to prepare a case for investigation.
Providing information this way will simplify case file preparation and reduce repeated information requests being made to landlords.
If these directions are not followed, we may reissue the information request and escalate the case in line with our Complaint Handling Failure Order (CHFO) procedure.
| Requirement | Description | |
| 1 | Information request | The information request table must be completed in full by the landlord.
Use the table to identify which of the submitted files addresses each requested item. |
| 2 | File names | All files should be clearly identifiable from the name of the document, and the file name must reflect the corresponding number or letter on the information request. |
| 3 | File type | We can accept most file types but please avoid sending documents that are:
|
| 4 | Emails attached to an email thread or submitted through the Portal should not include their own attachments. | |
| 5 | Email threads | The information provided must reduce the amount of duplication or repetition as far as possible.
Email chain submissions must not result in single-character line formatting (when the text defaults to one word per page). |
| 6 | Time period | All information provided should relate to the substantive issue that led to the formal complaint and subsequent final response.
For example, the information should not include all repair records or correspondence with the resident and should relate only to the duration of time the issues highlighted in the request were made. |
| 7 | Organisation | Where multiple documents are provided within 1 file, the documents within the file should be ordered chronologically. |
| 8 | Abbreviations | Any abbreviations (for example, in repair logs) must be explained and set out clearly. |
| 9 | Policies and procedures | Policies and procedures submitted must be the version which was in place at the time of the substantive issue and formal complaint being made. |
Information request FAQs
If a case is assessed as high risk, does that mean the timescale to provide information changes?
No. The timescales to return evidence on all cases remain the same.
What do we mean by a ‘high risk’ case?
When we receive a case, we assess it for investigation based on sensitivity, then age (oldest to youngest). We may also prioritise a case if they are:
- highly sensitive (based on assessment of the complaint and/or the resident’s individual circumstances)
- subject to joint investigation with another Ombudsman
- related to a paragraph 49 further investigation
Further information about how we assess cases for investigation is set out in our allocations policy
Will there be any changes to the Portal? And what if I am not on the Portal yet?
There will be no changes to the portal based on these changes. We will be inviting more landlords to use the Portal later this year.
Will the timescale landlords have to provide evidence change?
No. Landlords will still have 15 working days to provide the evidence requested. If evidence is not provided and no contact is made from the landlord, we will follow our Complaint Handling Failure Order (CHFO) process.