Housing Ombudsman: how long it takes and what to do while you wait

How long does the Housing Ombudsman take? It is one of the questions tenants ask most. The honest answer: it varies, and it often takes longer than people expect. Below, we set out the typical timelines and what to do while you wait.

How long does the Ombudsman process take?

The Ombudsman publishes no fixed target for resolving a case, but in practice:

• Initial assessment: after you send your complaint, the Ombudsman checks whether it can take the case and whether the evidence is complete. This usually takes a few weeks.
• Investigation: once a case is accepted, it usually takes several months. Complex cases, with long-running disrepair, serious health harm, or several issues at once, can take 9 to 12 months or more.
• Early resolution: some cases settle early, without a full formal decision, where the Ombudsman helps you and the landlord agree. This can happen within weeks.

In recent years the Ombudsman has faced big backlogs. Complaint numbers rose after Awaab's Law, and more tenants now know their rights.

What happens while your case is waiting?

Your case sits in a queue, and you may not hear much during that time. It can be frustrating, especially if the disrepair carries on.

During the wait, you should:

Keep the landlord's complaints process going alongside: if Stage 2 is still running, or the landlord has offered works, keep engaging. If the landlord does the repairs, note the date. It matters to how the Ombudsman weighs the case.

Document everything: keep your disrepair diary going. If conditions get worse, photograph them. New health problems? Note them and tell your doctor.

Keep reporting new developments: if the disrepair gets worse, or new problems appear during the wait, report them to your landlord in writing and tell the Ombudsman too.

Ask whether the Ombudsman route is still the right one: if the disrepair is causing serious, ongoing harm to health, a court injunction can force the landlord to do the repairs much faster. The Ombudsman cannot grant an injunction. If urgent repairs are the priority, court may work better.

Can you chase the Ombudsman?

Yes. You can contact the Ombudsman and ask where your case is up to. Has something big changed, say your health has seriously worsened, or the landlord has done something that matters to the case? Tell the Ombudsman in writing.

Waited an unusually long time with no update? Ask for an estimated timeline. The Ombudsman cannot always give one, but asking is fair.

Does the landlord have to stop the disrepair during the wait?

No. The Ombudsman's process puts no extra legal duty on the landlord to do repairs while the case waits. The law already requires the repairs, but the Ombudsman process does not speed them up.

Need urgent repairs while your Ombudsman case runs? You can also:

• Contact the council's environmental health team. It can issue an Improvement Notice on its own, separate from the Ombudsman
• Ask the courts for an injunction, if there is an urgent, ongoing risk to health or safety

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

Waiting for the Ombudsman while the disrepair keeps harming your health and daily life? A court disrepair claim may get binding repair orders more quickly. Call us on 0800 030 4669 to talk through your options.

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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