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How to complain about Southern Housing, and what to do if they ignore you

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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.

A British housing-association low-rise flats block

If your tenancy was originally with Optivo, your case may still be on the legacy system. Always quote your current address rather than legacy housing officer names when escalating, and don't accept 'we're looking into it' as a substitute for action within statutory deadlines.

How to complain about Southern Housing

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. 1

    Stage 1

    Target: 10 working days for response

    Email complaints@southernhousing.org.uk or call 0800 121 60 60. Response within 10 working days.

  2. 2

    Stage 2

    Target: 20 working days

    Senior reviewer responds within 20 working days.

  3. 3

    Still not fixed?

    If Southern Housing 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 Southern Housing in its 2024-25 review for upholding tenants' complaints, so you would not be the first.

Following the 2022 Optivo merger, some legacy systems took years to fully integrate. If your tenancy started with Optivo, quote your current address rather than legacy housing-officer names when escalating.

Call free: 0800 030 4669

Southern Housing contact info

Verified from Southern Housing's own website on 2026-05-18. Always double-check before sending, landlords change contact details.

General customer service
0800 121 60 60
Head office address
Southern Housing, Fleet House, 59-61 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M 5LA

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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.
68,918
homes managed
Grade C2
government rating: needs to improve
24
severe maladministration findings (2024-25)
24hr
Awaab's Law emergency repair deadline

How Southern Housing's own tenants rate them

These are Southern Housing'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 · Southern Housing's own TSM page

Happy with their landlord overall63% vs 71.8% for most landlords (below average)
Happy with repairs65.3% vs 73.6% for most landlords (below average)
Repairs done in good time61.5% vs 69.5% for most landlords (below average)
Home kept in good repair71.5% vs 71.9% for most landlords (below average)
Happy with how complaints are handled33.1% 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.

Southern Housing: Housing Ombudsman record 2024-25

The independent statutory review of social-housing complaints 2024-25 (published 23 September 2025) named Southern Housing 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 Southern Housing case decided by an independent ruling

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

£2,325
Southern Housing ordered to pay £2,325 after failing to fix a leak for over a year
independent statutory ruling · case 202229259

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 Southern Housing

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 Southern Housing

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 Southern Housing,

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 Southern Housing

What is Southern Housing's phone number?
Southern Housing's general customer service line is 0800 121 60 60. (Verified 2026-05-18.)
Where is Southern Housing's head office?
Southern Housing's head office is at Southern Housing, Fleet House, 59-61 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M 5LA. (Verified 2026-05-18.)
How do I complain about Southern Housing?
Complain to Southern Housing 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 Southern Housing have ignored my repairs?
Put the complaint in writing again and keep a copy, because the legal deadlines run from when Southern Housing 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 Southern Housing'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 Southern Housing have to fix my repair?
Awaab's Law (added to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, in force from 27 October 2025) gives Southern Housing 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 Southern Housing?
Report it to Southern Housing 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 Southern Housing about the hazard. If they do not act within those deadlines, speak to us.
Can I claim compensation from Southern Housing?
Yes, if you've reported a hazard and Southern Housing 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 Southern Housing 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 Southern Housing?
Stage 1: formal complaint to Southern Housing (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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