Designated Person: what it is and how it helps you access the Housing Ombudsman

If you are a social housing tenant and want to complain to the Housing Ombudsman, you used to need to go through a "Designated Person" first, an MP, local councillor, or tenant panel. This requirement changed in April 2013 and again in subsequent years, and the rules are now more flexible. Below, we set out the current position and how to use the Designated Person route if you choose to.

What is a Designated Person?

A Designated Person is a named individual or body who can refer a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman on your behalf. The three types of Designated Person are:

• A Member of Parliament (your MP)
• A local councillor (a councillor for the ward in which you live)
• A Tenant Panel recognised by your landlord

The Designated Person route was introduced to involve local representatives in resolving housing complaints and to filter out cases that could be resolved locally before reaching the Ombudsman.

Do you have to use a Designated Person?

Since April 2013, you can refer a complaint directly to the Housing Ombudsman without going through a Designated Person, provided:

• You have exhausted your landlord's internal complaints process (completed stage 1 and stage 2 if available), or
• 8 weeks have passed since you made your initial complaint and it has not been resolved

If either of those conditions applies, you can complain directly. You do not need an MP, councillor, or tenant panel to access the Ombudsman.

Why use a Designated Person then?

Some tenants choose to use a Designated Person because:

• Their MP or local councillor has direct influence with the landlord and may be able to prompt a quicker resolution
• They want additional support in articulating or escalating their complaint
• They are not sure whether their complaint meets the criteria for the Ombudsman and want advice

An MP or councillor writing to a housing association or council on your behalf often generates a faster and more serious response than a tenant complaint alone.

How to use the Designated Person route

1. Write to your local councillor or MP explaining the complaint (your name, address, landlord, what the complaint is, what has happened so far, and what outcome you want)
2. Ask them to either try to resolve it themselves or to refer it to the Housing Ombudsman on your behalf
3. Your councillor or MP will either take the matter up with the landlord directly or refer the complaint formally to the Ombudsman

You can find your local councillor on your council's website. You can find your MP at writetothem.com.

What if the Designated Person cannot help?

If your MP or councillor is unable to resolve the matter and does not refer it to the Ombudsman, you can still complain directly. Once the 8-week period has passed from your initial complaint, or once the landlord's complaints process is exhausted, the Ombudsman will accept your complaint directly.

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

If your complaint relates to housing disrepair, damp, mould, broken heating, or structural problems, the Ombudsman process and a legal disrepair claim are separate routes. The Ombudsman can investigate and award compensation, but a county court claim may produce a higher award.

Call us on 0800 030 4669 for advice. 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
• Housing Act 1996 (legislation.gov.uk)

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• Housing Ombudsman, how long it takes
• Stage 1 vs Stage 2 complaint, housing
• Housing Ombudsman vs court claim, which to use