Complaint handling
The Complaint Handling Code becomes statutory in April 2024, and it has never been more important to understand what good complaint handling is.
Find a range of learning materials on complaint handling on this key topic page.
What is good complaint handling?
Good complaint handling follows the Housing Ombudsman’s Dispute Resolution Principles. They are:
- be fair – treat people fairly and follow fair processes
- put things right
- learn from outcomes
These principles offer high level good practice guidance that should be followed by everyone in the complaints process.
A gold standard in complaint handling can only be achieved when a landlord follows the principles of the Complaint Handling Code, which you can read on the right hand side of this page
Guidance
Type 1 and 2 Complaint Handling Failure Order (CHFO) Guidance
The purpose of Type 1 and Type 2 complaint handling failure orders (CHFOs) is to ensure that a landlord’s complaint handling process is accessible, consistent and enables the timely progression of complaints for residents, in line with the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.
Type 3 Complaint Handling Failure Order (CHFO) Guidance
The purpose of Type 3 complaint handling failure orders (‘CHFOs’) is to ensure that landlords comply with the statutory Complaint Handling Code (‘the Code’).
Reports
Complaint Handling Failure Order report - July to September
We have published our latest Complaint Handling Failure Order (CHFO) report. Giving 52 CHFOs between July and September – the most since reports began being published in 2021.
Complaint Handling Failure Order report - April to June 2023
From April to June 2023, we issued 43 Complaint Handling Failure Orders with 18 of those not being complied with, the most non-compliance we’ve ever had in one quarter.
Statutory Code webinars
The Centre for Learning ran a series of statutory Code webinars to answer your questions about the new code.
If you missed the sessions, you can watch the recordings and view the slides online.
Complaint handling drop in sessions
Join our next complaint handling drop in session
The Centre for Learning host free Complaint Handling monthly drop ins.
Landlords will have their questions answered on the Code in this engaging online session.
Landlord training
The Centre for Learning has a range of courses and microlearning available to landlords via the Learning Hub. Simply log in to access the training.
Dispute Resolution
The Dispute Resolution module is aimed at developing knowledge and understanding to help resolve issues at an early stage and at a local level, based on our dispute resolution principles:
- be fair
- put things right
- learn from outcomes
Applying Dispute Resolution
The Applying Dispute Resolution module sets out how to use the dispute resolution principles to manage 3 types of complaint:
- repairs
- antisocial behaviour
- managing unacceptable behaviours
Podcast with the Centre for Learning
Season 2, episode 1: Our strengthened Complaint Handling Code
In this episode, Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman, talks to Sector Development Lead Dave Simmons, Head of Insight and Development Rebecca Reed, Head of Business Services at Tpas Louise Holt and Head of Customer Engagement at Community Gill Mooney about our Strengthened Complaint Handling Code.
Following a review one year after the code was introduced, provisions have been strengthened to support a positive complaint handling culture.
Case studies
The case studies are examples from our case work. We will always try to show one example where the landlord did things right and received a finding of no maladministration and an example where a landlord didn’t act in the correct way and received a finding of severe maladministration or maladministration.
No maladministration
In this case, the landlord consistently responded to the resident’s complaint in a timely manner. Adhering to complaint timescales within the Complaint Handling Code, the landlord ensured that there was no delay to resolving the issue for the resident.
On top of this, the landlord responded appropriately to the reports of repairs and communicated effectively and clearly throughout the complaint responses.
The landlord went further than the evidence of the case to make sure that if it had made a mistake that it would put things right for future residents as it instructed an independent specialist contractor to verify its findings.
Severe maladministration
We found severe maladministration in this case after a 9-month delay in complaint handling left repairs outstanding and the resident without redress. We were forced to issue a Complaint Handling Failure Order to get the council to issue a response.
After reporting the issue, the landlord made some repairs, but the resident reported the issue was still ongoing and made a complaint 2 months later.
In the following 6 months, the resident kept in touch with the landlord, but it provided no update on the complaint, and it took the Ombudsman to intervene for it to provide more information to the resident.
The resident then escalated the complaint but did not receive a response until 9 months later, leaving the problems unresolved.
The resident had to take the time and inconvenience to message the landlord on various occasions to get a response. It was only when the Ombudsman issued it with a Complaint Handling Failure Order that the landlord sent its formal response.
Further to this, the complaint response was inadequate as it did not cover all the issued raised in the complaint.
Complaint handling good practice
Whilst there is plenty of learning where things go wrong, we always look at where landlords have handled complaints effectively to share learning for the sector.
Red Kite Community Housing
An adjudicator from the Housing Ombudsman Service shares a good practice example involving Red Kite Community Housing.
East Midlands Housing Group
An adjudicator from the Housing Ombudsman Service shares a good practice example involving East Midlands Housing Group Ltd.
The Guinness Partnership
An adjudicator from the Housing Ombudsman Service shares a good practice example involving The Guinness Partnership Limited.
Lewisham Council
The Housing Ombudsman's Investigator, Kaycee, discusses an example of complaint handling good practice involving Lewisham Council.
Landlord Learning Hub
Centre for Learning online platform
Explore our NEW learning tool - the Landlord Learning Hub.
Log in and discover the training options available to you.
If you have not logged into the new Hub, you will need to set up an account to gain access to a range of learning materials.
Resident information
When to use the Housing Ombudsman Service
If you are unable to resolve the complaint with your landlord directly via its complaint procedure, this service may be able to provide you with further assistance.
View the residents' pages to find out how to raise and complaint to your landlord and when to escalate your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman Service.