How to complain to your landlord
Find out how to let your landlord know when something has gone wrong, what happens when you make a complaint and what to do if you’re still unhappy with the outcome.
On this page
The difference between a service request and a complaint
If something goes wrong in your home, tell your landlord. Your landlord should explain how it will respond and what action it will take.
Reporting an issue — such as asking for a repair — is called a service request. Many people call this a complaint, but it is different.
What is a complaint?
A complaint is when you tell your landlord you are unhappy with the standard of service, something it has done, or something it has failed to do.
If you reported an issue to your landlord and you do not think it took the right action or responded appropriately, you can make a complaint.
You can complain if you are unhappy with how your landlord handled your service request. For example, you might be unhappy about:
- the level of investigation or action your landlord took
- how long it took your landlord to investigate or respond
- something your landlord did that you are unhappy with
- poor record keeping
Give your landlord the chance to put things right
It is important to follow the right process and give your landlord the opportunity to resolve your issue before coming to us. This is often the quickest way to get things sorted.
How to make a complaint
When you make a complaint to your landlord, you must be clear about what you think has gone wrong.
Tell your landlord:
- when you first reported the issue
- any actions the landlord has taken since
- what you think it should have done
- what impact this has had on your or your household
Your landlord’s complaints process should be available on its website. If you cannot access its website, or you cannot find it, contact your landlord and ask for a copy.
We recommend making your complaint in writing – by email, post, or your landlord’s online resident portal – so you have a copy for your records.
Download the 'make a complaint request' Word document
If you need to complain by phone
If you make your complaint over the phone, remember to make a note of:
- the name of the person you speak to
- the time and date of your call
- ask for a reference number for your complaint
What happens at stage 1
Your landlord must handle your complaint in line with its complaint procedure. Our Complaint Handling Code sets out what your landlord must do.
At stage 1, your landlord must:
- acknowledge the complaint within 5 working days of it being received
- reply, in writing, within 10 working days of the date the complaint was acknowledged
- let you know as soon as possible if it cannot meet these timescales and when it will respond – this must be no more than 10 further working days
The stage 1 response must tell you:
- what stage of the complaint procedure you are at
- a summary the issues you raised
- your landlord’s decision and the reasons for it
- any remedy offered to put things right – this could be an apology or compensation
- what actions your landlord will take
- how to take your complaint to the next stage if you are still unhappy
Your landlord must reply in writing - usually be by email. If your landlord responds by any other method, ask it to confirm its response in writing.
What to do if your landlord does not reply
Your landlord must reply to your complaint in writing. If you are not getting a response, we can contact your landlord on your behalf and ask it to reply.
To do this, we will need to see a copy of the complaint you sent. You can share this with us by completing our online complaint form.
Keep a copy of every complaint you send to your landlord and every response you receive. If you bring your complaint to us, we will ask you to show us your landlord's responses at each stage.
How to escalate your complaint to stage 2
Landlords must have a 2-stage complaint procedure. If you are unhappy with the stage 1 response, you can ask your landlord to take your complaint to stage 2 – the final stage.
When you request to escalate your complaint, clearly set out:
- why you are unhappy with the stage 1 response
- if you think your landlord has missed or not considered any aspect of your complaint
- why you think remedies offered, if any, at stage 1 are not appropriate
- what you would like the landlord to do to put things right
We hope your landlord can resolve your complaint directly with you. But if it cannot, stage 2 gives you an opportunity to challenge your landlord’s decision before coming to us.
We have created a template to help you write a request to escalate your complaint.
Download the 'escalation request template' Word document
At stage 2, your landlord must:
- acknowledge your escalation request within 5 working days of receiving it
- reply in writing within 20 working days of acknowledging your request
We know it can be frustrating when things go wrong. Sharing any information your landlord asks for and giving it chance to investigate is often the quickest way to resolve your issue.
The stage 2 response
The stage 2 response is your landlord’s full and final response to your complaint. It must clearly set out:
- the final decision on your complaint
- confirmation that this is the landlord’s final response
- any remedy offered or actions it will take
- how to bring your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman Service for investigation – including contact details
If you are unhappy with your landlord's stage 2 response, you can bring the complaint to us for investigation. We can only accept a complaint where the stage 2 response is dated within 12 months.
When to bring a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman
When to get help from the Housing Ombudsman
You can bring a complaint about your landlord to us for investigation if you have completed your landlord’s complaint process and the issues have not been resolved or if your landlord is not responding to a complaint you have made to it.
Find out when to get help from us and what you need to bring your complaint to us.