How to complain about Birmingham City Council, and what to do if they ignore you
Birmingham City Council is the largest local-authority landlord in the UK, managing around 60,000 council homes across the city. The council declared effective bankruptcy (Section 114 notice) in September 2023, and while housing budgets are ring-fenced from that crisis, the wider service pressure on the council is real.
Birmingham's housing repairs were already under regulatory scrutiny before the financial crisis. Tenants who've waited months for major works should know that financial pressure on the council does not lawfully extend Awaab's Law deadlines or remove Section 11 duties.
How to complain about Birmingham City Council
If Birmingham City Council has left a repair undone, you have the right to complain, and to escalate it for free if they ignore you. Here is the order to follow.
- 1
Complain in writing. Send Birmingham City Council a written complaint, by email or their online form, and keep a copy. Say what is wrong, when you first reported it, and how it affects you. This is a stage 1 complaint, and they should reply within about 10 working days.
- 2
Ask for a stage 2 review. If you are not happy with the reply, ask Birmingham City Council in writing to look at it again at stage 2, the final stage of their process. They should reply within about 20 working days.
- 3
Escalate to the Housing Ombudsman. If Birmingham City Council still does not put it right, or 8 weeks pass with no proper answer, you can take the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman, the free service that reviews social-housing complaints. The Ombudsman has already named Birmingham City Council in its 2024-25 review for upholding tenants' complaints, so you would not be the first.
- 4
If a repair is still not fixed, get free advice. If the problem is disrepair such as damp, mould, a leak or broken heating and Birmingham City Council has ignored it, call us free. We will tell you where you stand, and you may have a claim. We deal with Birmingham City Council for you, and there is no cost to start.
Talk to us about Birmingham City Council
or answer 2 quick questions
What is the main problem?
What happens after you send the form
- We read your case. Real person, not a bot. Inside 1 working hour during opening times.
- Free 25-minute call. We tell you honestly whether you have a case worth pursuing.
- If we proceed, your case goes to one of our SRA-regulated panel solicitors on no-win-no-fee terms. The fee only comes out of your compensation if you win, never out of your own pocket.
Birmingham City Council contact info
Verified from Birmingham City Council's own website on 2026-05-18. Always double-check before sending, landlords change contact details.
How Birmingham City Council's own tenants rate them
These are Birmingham City Council's own tenants' scores, collected by the housing regulator in 2024-25. We didn't pick the numbers.
RSH TSM 2024-25 · gov.uk source · Birmingham City Council's own TSM page
Most landlords means the middle score across every social landlord in England in the 2024-25 regulator data. The thin line on each bar marks that middle score.
Birmingham City Council: Housing Ombudsman record 2024-25
The independent statutory review of social-housing complaints 2024-25 (published 23 September 2025) named Birmingham City Council for upholding tenants' complaints of maladministration over repairs and conditions.
Source: independent statutory complaints review 2024-25. housing-ombudsman.org.uk · published 23 September 2025. See all 2024-25 records.
A real Birmingham City Council case decided by an independent ruling
This is a published independent statutory ruling, not our own client. It shows the compensation Birmingham City Council was ordered to pay a tenant, and the kind of failing we help you act on.
Why work with us
Four things we commit to on every case. No fabricated stats.
No win, no fee
If you don't win, you don't pay us. And you are dealing with a regulated, authorised firm, not a cold-caller.
Nothing to pay up front
You pay nothing to get started, and nothing at all if you lose. If you win, the fee only comes out of your compensation, never out of your own pocket, and it is capped by law.
Honest advice
We tell you on the first call whether your case is worth pursuing. We are not paid by case volume, so you get a straight answer.
Common issues with Birmingham City Council
Based on public statutory complaints records and tenant reports. Awaab's Law deadlines apply regardless of which issue you report.
Damp and mould
Significant hazard: 10 working days to investigate, 5 to complete under Awaab's Law.
We will check the dates, the evidence, and your landlord's response, then tell you honestly whether you have a case worth pursuing.
Read your rights
Leaks and flooding
Emergency hazard: investigate in 24 hours under Awaab's Law.
We will check the dates, the evidence, and your landlord's response, then tell you honestly whether you have a case worth pursuing.
Read your rights
Broken heating and hot water
Emergency hazard: investigate in 24 hours under Awaab's Law.
We will check the dates, the evidence, and your landlord's response, then tell you honestly whether you have a case worth pursuing.
Read your rights
Birmingham City Council's complaints process
The route they publish under the statutory Complaint Handling Code. Awaab's Law deadlines (24 hours for an emergency hazard; 10 working days to investigate a significant hazard, then 5 working days to complete the works) run in parallel, the complaints clock and the repair clock are separate.
- 1
Stage 1, Council complaints procedure
Target: 20 working days for response
Submit via the council's online complaints form, in writing to the housing officer, or by calling 0121 303 1111. Response target 20 working days for housing complaints.
- 2
Stage 2, Senior review
Target: 20 working days
Escalate within 28 days for senior review.
- 3
Still not fixed?
If Birmingham City Council miss these deadlines or still leave the problem unfixed, you may have a claim. Call us free on 0800 030 4669.
Birmingham is the largest LA landlord in the UK with ~60,000 homes. Repairs were under regulatory scrutiny before the financial crisis. Document everything, the council's own published TSM scores are useful evidence.
Sample complaint email to Birmingham City Council
Copy this, fill in the bracketed details, and send. Cites Section 11, FFHH Act and Awaab's Law, landlords take it seriously.
Subject: Formal complaint: disrepair at [your address], Section 11 and Awaab's Law Dear Birmingham City Council, I am writing to formally complain about disrepair at my home at [your address]. The issue: [describe damp / mould / leak / broken heating / other, be specific about rooms, when it started, and any health impacts]. I reported this on [date] via [phone / email / portal / in person]. The reference number I was given is [reference if any]. To date, no proper repair has been completed. LEGAL POSITION: Under Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, you have a duty to keep the structure and installations of my home in repair. Under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018, my home must be fit for human habitation. Under Awaab's Law (Section 10A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, in force 27 October 2025), if this hazard is an emergency you must investigate within 24 hours and offer alternative accommodation if the home cannot be made safe. If this hazard is a significant hazard, you must investigate within 10 working days, complete the relevant safety work within 5 working days of finishing that investigation, and provide a written summary of your findings within 3 working days of the investigation. This letter constitutes formal notice. Please acknowledge within 5 working days and issue a stage-1 response within 10 working days, as required by your published complaints policy and the statutory Complaint Handling Code. If you fail to respond or to act within these timeframes, I reserve all my rights including escalation to the Housing Ombudsman and a legal claim for compensation. Yours faithfully, [Your name] [Your address] [Your phone] [Your email]
Don't want to do this yourself? Use our free letter builder for a PDF, or start a claim with us and we'll handle the whole correspondence.
Frequently asked questions about Birmingham City Council
What is Birmingham City Council's phone number?
Where is Birmingham City Council's head office?
How do I complain about Birmingham City Council?
What can I do if Birmingham City Council have ignored my repairs?
How long does Birmingham City Council have to fix my repair?
How do I report damp and mould to Birmingham City Council?
Can I claim compensation from Birmingham City Council?
What if Birmingham City Council have inspected but done nothing?
How do I escalate a complaint about Birmingham City Council?
Related
By: Support for Tenants editorial team
Last updated:
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 15 June 2026. Checked by our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Any compensation figures or ranges shown are illustrative only and not guaranteed; every case is different.