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
The route they publish under the statutory Complaint Handling Code. Awaab's Law repair deadlines 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 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.
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.
Call free: 0800 030 4669Birmingham 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.
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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.
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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
Sample complaint email to Birmingham City Council
Copy this, fill in the bracketed details, and send. It cites Section 11, the Fitness Act and Awaab's Law.
See the full sample email
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?
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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, not a promise; every case is different.