I rent from Southern Housing. What can I do about housing issues?
You have the same legal rights as any other social housing tenant in England. Under Awaab's Law (in force October 2025), Southern Housing must investigate a significant hazard such as serious damp or mould within 10 working days and complete the safety work within 5 working days of finishing that investigation. An emergency hazard must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours.
If they've ignored you, the route is: (1) formal complaint to Southern Housing, (2) escalate to stage 2. If they still do not fix it (or 8 weeks pass with no proper response), you may have a claim, call us free on 0800 030 4669.
Southern Housing was formed by the 2022 merger of Southern Housing Group and Optivo, creating an association managing around 80,000 homes across London, the South East and South Coast. Like other recent mega-mergers, integration of complaints and repairs systems has produced an audit gap.
Three steps right now
- Report it in writing. Email or use Southern Housing's online portal. Phone alone doesn't create the paper trail you'll need later.
- Photograph everything, damp patches, broken fixtures, mould. Date-stamped if possible.
- Talk to us free if 21 days pass without action, we'll tell you honestly whether you have a claim worth pursuing.