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Council · 38,500 homes

How to complain about Sheffield City Council, and what to do if they ignore you

Sheffield City Council manages around 38,500 council homes directly across the city. It was one of the first English councils named by the Regulator of Social Housing under the consumer-standards regime that came into force in April 2024, with regulator findings highlighting damp-and-mould response failures.

A street of British terraced social-housing homes

If you live in a Sheffield council home and damp or mould has been reported but not fixed, the council's regulator-acknowledged process gap is itself useful evidence. Don't accept a survey appointment in 6 weeks' time as adequate progress, under Awaab's Law (since October 2025) the council has 10 working days to investigate, not weeks. If Sheffield City Council has ignored you, here's how to claim.

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How to complain about Sheffield City Council

If Sheffield City Council 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 Sheffield City Council 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 Sheffield City Council 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 Sheffield City Council 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. The Ombudsman has already named Sheffield City Council in its 2024-25 review for upholding tenants' complaints, so you would not be the first.

  4. 4

    If a repair is still not fixed, get free advice. If the problem is disrepair such as damp, mould, a leak or broken heating and Sheffield City Council has ignored it, call us free. We will tell you where you stand, and you may have a claim. We deal with Sheffield City Council for you, and there is no cost to start.

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38,500
homes managed
Grade C3
government rating: serious failings
24hr
Awaab's Law emergency repair deadline
10 days
to investigate a serious hazard

How Sheffield City Council's own tenants rate them

These are Sheffield 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 · Sheffield City Council's own TSM page

Happy with their landlord overall67.6% vs 71.8% for most landlords (below average)
Happy with repairs69.8% vs 73.6% for most landlords (below average)
Repairs done in good time66% vs 69.5% for most landlords (below average)
Home kept in good repair68.8% vs 71.9% for most landlords (below average)
Happy with how complaints are handled33.8% 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.

Sheffield City Council: Housing Ombudsman record 2024-25

The independent statutory review of social-housing complaints 2024-25 (published 23 September 2025) named Sheffield 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.

Sheffield City Council by the numbers

  • •Around 38,500 council-owned homes managed directly by the housing service.
  • •RSH consumer-standards findings published 2024, process failures in damp and mould response.
  • •TSM 2024-25: 67.6% overall satisfaction (sector median 71.8%).
  • •Complaints route: sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/complaints stage 1 → stage 2 → Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (the route for stock council tenants).

What you can do today

  1. 1.Submit a stage-1 complaint at sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/complaints with the date you first reported the issue.
  2. 2.Phone the repairs line on 0114 273 5555 and request an Awaab's Law investigation within 10 working days (24 hours if it's an emergency).
  3. 3.If they miss the deadline, contact the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Why work with us

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If you don't win, you don't pay us. And you are dealing with a regulated, authorised firm, not a cold-caller.

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You pay nothing to get started, and nothing at all if you lose. If you win, the fee only comes out of your compensation, never out of your own pocket, and it is capped by law.

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 Sheffield 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 Sheffield City Council

Copy this, fill in the bracketed details, and send. Cites Section 11, FFHH Act and Awaab's Law, landlords take it seriously.

Subject: Formal complaint: disrepair at [your address], Section 11 and Awaab's Law

Dear Sheffield 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 Sheffield City Council

How do I complain about Sheffield City Council?
Complain to Sheffield City Council 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 Sheffield City Council have ignored my repairs?
Put the complaint in writing again and keep a copy, because the legal deadlines run from when Sheffield City Council 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 Sheffield City Council's two-stage complaints process and keep a record of every stage. Or call us free on 0800 030 4669 and we will deal with Sheffield City Council for you.
How long does Sheffield City Council have to fix my repair?
Under Awaab's Law (Section 10A of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, in force from 27 October 2025), Sheffield City Council must, for an emergency hazard, investigate within 24 hours and offer alternative accommodation if the home cannot be made safe in that time. For a significant hazard, Sheffield City Council must investigate within 10 working days, complete the safety work within 5 working days of finishing that investigation, and send the tenant a written summary of findings within 3 working days of the investigation (which runs at the same time as the 5-day works window).
How do I report damp and mould to Sheffield City Council?
Report it to Sheffield City Council 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 Sheffield City Council about the hazard. If they do not act within those deadlines, speak to us.
Can I claim compensation from Sheffield City Council?
Yes, if you've reported a hazard and Sheffield City Council have ignored it past the Awaab's Law deadlines, you can 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. On no win, no fee terms you pay nothing up front, and the solicitor's fee only comes out of your compensation if you win, never out of your own pocket.
What if Sheffield City Council 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 Sheffield City Council?
Stage 1: formal complaint to Sheffield City Council (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 and not guaranteed; every case is different.

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