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Understand the complaints process

The complaints process

  1. 1

    Tell your landlord about the problem

    The first step is to report the problem to your landlord. They may be able to put things right. If you are having difficulty reporting the issue or are dissatisfied with the service you received in response, we can help you and your landlord resolve the issue. All landlords have complaints procedures that should be easy to use, fair and designed to put things right. If you think your complaint is not being dealt with correctly, for example if you receive delayed or no response, we can help ensure your complaint is responded to by your landlord.

  2. 2

    Escalate your complaint to the Ombudsman

    If you are unable to resolve your complaint through your landlord’s complaints procedure you can refer your complaint to the Ombudsman. We will deal with each complaint to find the best outcome for your individual circumstances. Once we receive your complaint we may:

    • Refer the case to a different organisation if it is an issue we cannot make a decision about because it is not in our jurisdiction
    • Work with you and your landlord to resolve the dispute under our mediation procedure. For example we can use our experience of resolving complaints to make suggestions to the landlord and/or the resident if we believe there is a way to resolve the complaint
    • Carry out an investigation; we only do this for those complaints where we decide an investigation is proportionate to the circumstances and evidence before us, for example complex complaints involving many issues.