How to complain about Southern Housing
Customer service phone: 0800 121 60 60
Address: Southern Housing, Fleet House, 59-61 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M 5LA
Response time: 10 working days (stage 1), 20 working days (stage 2).
Verified from Southern Housing's own website on 2026-05-18. Always double-check before sending, landlords change contact details.
How to send your complaint
Southern Housing accepts complaints by four routes. Pick whichever you can document, written routes (email, online form, letter) are easier to prove later than phone calls.
Slowest, but the most formal. Send recorded delivery and keep the receipt.
Southern Housing's complaints procedure
- Stage 1, 10 working days
Email complaints@southernhousing.org.uk or call 0800 121 60 60. Response within 10 working days.
- Stage 2, 20 working days
Senior reviewer responds within 20 working days.
- Still not fixed?
If Southern Housing miss these deadlines or still leave the problem unfixed, you may have a claim. Call us free on 0800 030 4669 and we will tell you honestly.
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.
Should you use Support for Tenants instead of complaining yourself?
Honest answer: often not. If your damages would likely be under £3,000 and you mainly want the repair done, working through Southern Housing's own two-stage complaints process is usually enough.
A claim through us makes sense when damages are bigger (£5,000+ in losses, illness, or destroyed belongings), or when Southern Housing have been recalcitrant even after you have exhausted their complaints process. Then a legal claim with court-order enforcement is the right tool.
FAQs about complaining to Southern Housing
Where do I send a complaint letter to Southern Housing?
Southern Housing, Fleet House, 59-61 Clerkenwell Road, London, EC1M 5LA. Verified 2026-05-18.
How long does Southern Housing take to respond to a complaint?
10 working days for the stage-1 response, 20 working days for stage-2 if you escalate. 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.
What if Southern Housing ignore my complaint?
After 8 weeks of no proper response you don't need to wait further, you may have a claim. Call us free on 0800 030 4669. Document every contact you've made: dates, times, names, reference numbers. That evidence is what supports a claim for compensation and repairs.
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 (24 hours to investigate and make safe an emergency hazard; 10 working days to investigate a significant hazard, then 5 working days from the end of that investigation to complete the safety work), you may be able to claim compensation. How much depends on how long the problem lasted, how serious it was, and any effect on your health.
See also: Southern Housing main page · Ombudsman vs a claim · Letter builder · What to do if they ignore you