Complaints about the Council's actions as a housing landlord are dealt with by the Housing Ombudsman Service. Where a complaint involves the actions of the Council as both the landlord and the local authority, the Housing Ombudsman and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman may decide to carry out a joint investigation.
The Housing Ombudsman defines landlord functions as leasehold services, moving to a Council owned property, rent and service charges, occupancy rights, Council owned property condition (repairs and improvements), tenants' behaviour, estate management, complaints handling and compensation. See Which ombudsman for social housing complaints
If, having exhausted the Council's corporate complaints procedure, your complaint is not resolved to your satisfaction, you may complain to:
Housing Ombudsman Service
Exchange Tower
Harbour Exchange Square
London E14 9GE
Tel:0300 111 3000
Fax: 020 7831 1942
Email: info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk
See our definition of a 'complaint' and our self-assessment under the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code Self-Assessment. Please note that from 1 October 2022, tenants who remain dissatisfied with the Council’s Stage Two review decision no longer have to contact the ‘designated person’ or wait eight weeks before referring their complaint to the Housing Ombudsman.Tenants can still contact their MP, local councillor or tenant panel about a complaint, but the 'designated person' role will not be part of the Housing Ombudsman’s formal process.
[1] Schedule 2, para.7 Housing Act 1996 (as amended)
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman deals with complaints relating to housing allocations, homelessness, general housing advice, housing benefit, housing improvement grants, antisocial behaviour (other than tenant behaviour) noise nuisance, sale or disposal of land on housing estates and planning and building control (Council owned properties). If, having exhausted the Council's corporate complaints procedure, a complaint is not resolved to the complainant's satisfaction, the complainant may refer the complaint straight to the Local Government Ombudsman. The 'designated person' procedure does not apply to complaints dealt with by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.