Making a complaint about your council landlord: how the process works

If you rent from a council (local authority) and there is a problem with your home, disrepair, poor service, or a dispute about your tenancy, you have the right to make a formal complaint. Below, we walk through how the council landlord complaints process works, what to expect, and what to do if the complaint is not resolved.

Who can make a complaint about a council landlord?

Any council tenant or leaseholder can make a formal complaint about the council's housing services. This includes complaints about:

• Repairs that have not been done or have been done badly
• Damp, mould, or other housing conditions that the council has failed to address
• Poor communication from the housing team
• Delays in responding to repair requests
• Disputes about rent, service charges, or tenancy conditions

You can also make a complaint on behalf of someone else if they have given you authority to do so.

How to make a formal complaint

Stage 1, Formal complaint: The first step is to submit a formal written complaint to the council's housing department. Most councils have an online complaints form or an email address for complaints. The complaint should:

• Set out clearly what has happened and when
• Explain what you want the council to do to resolve the problem
• Include any supporting documents, photographs, correspondence, repair reports

The council must acknowledge your complaint promptly (usually within five working days) and provide a full response within 10 working days. If they need more time, they should tell you this.

Stage 2, Review: If you are not satisfied with the Stage 1 response, you can escalate to Stage 2, which is usually a review by a more senior officer. The same timelines apply.

What if the complaint is not resolved?

If you have gone through the council's complaint process and are still not satisfied, you can escalate to the Housing Ombudsman Service. The Housing Ombudsman investigates complaints about social landlords, councils and housing associations, in England.

You do not need a lawyer or solicitor to make a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman. The service is free to use.

In most cases, you need to have completed the landlord's own complaints process before the Ombudsman will investigate. The Ombudsman may also ask whether you have considered other routes, such as a councillor referral.

What can the Housing Ombudsman do?

If the Housing Ombudsman upholds your complaint, it can order the landlord to:

• Pay you financial compensation
• Carry out outstanding repairs
• Review its policies and processes
• Apologise formally

The Ombudsman's decisions are binding on social landlords.

What if my complaint relates to disrepair that is harming my health?

If the disrepair in your council home is affecting your health, you may have a legal claim against the council as your landlord, in addition to making a complaint. Council tenants have the same rights under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 as private tenants.

A legal claim through the courts is separate from the complaints process. You can pursue both at the same time or in sequence.

What if the council is not responding to repair requests at all?

If the council has completely failed to respond to your repair requests, and this is affecting your health or safety, you can also contact your local authority's environmental health department (which is a separate part of the council). Environmental health officers can inspect the property and issue notices requiring the housing department to act.

What about legal action?

If the council has failed to repair disrepair that affects your health and habitability, you may be able to bring a legal claim in the county court. Council tenants have the same statutory rights to a habitable home as private tenants.

A legal adviser can help you decide whether a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman, a legal claim, or both is the right approach for your situation.

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

Support for Tenants primarily helps private tenants with housing disrepair claims. If you are a private tenant with disrepair that your landlord has not fixed, call us.

For council or housing association tenants, we can give guidance on your options, call and we will point you in the right direction.

Call us on 0800 030 4669. No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.

Sources

• Housing Ombudsman Service
• Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Section 11 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 (legislation.gov.uk)