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Council · 31,000 homes

How to complain about London Borough of Hackney, and what to do if they ignore you

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Hackney Council manages around 31,000 homes across the borough, including some of the largest 1960s and 1970s estates in London (Pembury, Frampton Park, Holly Street). The council was the subject of a major independent statutory ruling in 2024 relating to disrepair handling and has been working under an improvement plan since.

A deck-access British council flats block

Hackney's older estates have ongoing damp and structural issues. A 2024 independent statutory ruling criticised the council's complaints process for closing cases prematurely. If your case is marked 'resolved' in writing but the underlying repair hasn't been done, that wording is itself useful evidence. If Hackney Council has ignored you, here's how to claim.

How to complain about London Borough of Hackney

If London Borough of Hackney has left a repair undone, you have the right to complain, and to escalate it for free if they ignore you. Here is the order to follow.

  1. 1

    Complain in writing. Send London Borough of Hackney a written complaint, by email or their online form, and keep a copy. Say what is wrong, when you first reported it, and how it affects you. This is a stage 1 complaint, and they should reply within about 10 working days.

  2. 2

    Ask for a stage 2 review. If you are not happy with the reply, ask London Borough of Hackney in writing to look at it again at stage 2, the final stage of their process. They should reply within about 20 working days.

  3. 3

    Escalate to the Housing Ombudsman. If London Borough of Hackney still does not put it right, 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.

  4. 4

    If a repair is still not fixed, get free advice. If London Borough of Hackney has ignored disrepair such as damp, mould, a leak or broken heating, call us free.

Call free: 0800 030 4669

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  1. We read your case. Real person, not a bot. Inside 1 working hour during opening times.
  2. Free 25-minute call. We tell you honestly whether you have a case worth pursuing.
  3. If we proceed, your case goes to one of our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. 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.
31,000
homes managed
Grade C3
government rating: serious failings
24hr
Awaab's Law emergency repair deadline
10 days
to investigate a serious hazard

How London Borough of Hackney's own tenants rate them

These are London Borough of Hackney'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 · London Borough of Hackney's own TSM page

Happy with their landlord overall57.4% vs 71.8% for most landlords (below average)
Happy with repairs63.1% vs 73.6% for most landlords (below average)
Repairs done in good time56.6% vs 69.5% for most landlords (below average)
Home kept in good repair57.3% vs 71.9% for most landlords (below average)
Happy with how complaints are handled29.3% vs 35.5% for most landlords (below average)

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.

A real London Borough of Hackney case decided by an independent ruling

This is a published independent statutory ruling, not our own client. It shows the compensation London Borough of Hackney was ordered to pay a tenant, and the kind of failing we help you act on.

£6,900
Hackney Council ordered to pay £6,900 over a recurring leak it failed to fix
independent statutory ruling · case 202207096

London Borough of Hackney by the numbers

  • •Around 31,000 council-owned homes across the London Borough of Hackney.
  • •2024 independent statutory wider-investigation findings on disrepair handling.
  • •TSM 2024-25: 57.4% overall satisfaction (sector median 71.8%).

What you can do today

  1. 1.Submit a stage-1 complaint at hackney.gov.uk/complaints, quote your tenancy reference.
  2. 2.Phone repairs on 020 8356 3691 and request an Awaab's Law inspection appointment.
  3. 3.After 8 weeks of no proper response, you may have a claim, call us free on 0800 030 4669.

Why work with us

Three things we commit to on every case. No fabricated stats.

Clear costs

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.

A regulated firm

You are dealing with a regulated, authorised firm, not a cold-caller.

Honest advice

We tell you on the first call whether your case is worth pursuing. We are not paid by case volume, so you get a straight answer.

Common issues with London Borough of Hackney

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 London Borough of Hackney

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 London Borough of Hackney,

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 London Borough of Hackney

How do I complain about London Borough of Hackney?
Complain to London Borough of Hackney in writing first, by email or their online form, and keep a copy. Say what is wrong, when you first reported it, and how it affects you. This is a stage 1 complaint and they should reply within about 10 working days. If you are not happy with the reply, ask in writing for a stage 2 review. If they still do not put it right, or 8 weeks pass with no proper answer, you can take the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman for free.
What can I do if London Borough of Hackney have ignored my repairs?
Put the complaint in writing again and keep a copy, because the legal deadlines run from when London Borough of Hackney were told about the problem. Under Awaab's Law a significant hazard must be investigated within 10 working days, and an emergency hazard within 24 hours. If nothing happens, follow London Borough of Hackney's complaints process and keep a record of every stage. We check whether you may have a claim. If you do, we refer you to an SRA-regulated panel solicitor who gives legal advice and runs the case.
How long does London Borough of Hackney have to fix my repair?
Awaab's Law (added to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, in force from 27 October 2025) gives London Borough of Hackney fixed deadlines. An emergency hazard must be investigated and made safe within 24 hours, and if the home cannot be made safe in that time they must offer somewhere else to stay. A significant hazard, such as damp or mould, must be investigated within 10 working days, and the relevant safety work completed within 5 working days of the investigation ending. They must also send you a written summary of what they found within 3 working days of the investigation.
How do I report damp and mould to London Borough of Hackney?
Report it to London Borough of Hackney in writing if you can, by email, their online portal, or by phone with a reference number, and keep a copy. Describe the damp or mould, when it started, and any effect on your health. Reporting in writing matters because the Awaab's Law deadlines only start once you have told London Borough of Hackney about the hazard. If they do not act within those deadlines, speak to us.
Can I claim compensation from London Borough of Hackney?
Yes, if you've reported a hazard and London Borough of Hackney have ignored it past the Awaab's Law deadlines, you may be able to claim compensation. How much depends on how long it went on, how serious it was, and any effect on your health, so we cannot promise a figure. 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.
What if London Borough of Hackney have inspected but done nothing?
An inspection alone doesn't satisfy Awaab's Law. The repair deadline keeps running. Keep records of every inspection date, the surveyor's name, and what they said. This pattern strengthens any future claim significantly.
How do I escalate a complaint about London Borough of Hackney?
Stage 1: formal complaint to London Borough of Hackney (10 working days for response). Stage 2: written escalation if dissatisfied (20 working days). If they still do not fix it, or 8 weeks pass with no proper response, you may have a claim, speak to us and we will tell you honestly.

Related

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.

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