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Council · 36,800 homes

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

Southwark Council manages around 36,800 homes directly, having taken back control from its Tenant Management Organisations in stages through the 2010s. Southwark covers some of the densest council estates in the country, Aylesbury, Heygate (now redeveloped), Elephant and Castle, with a legacy of slow repairs and statutory findings dating back over a decade.

A British housing-association low-rise flats block

Southwark's older estates have a high concentration of system-built blocks and Victorian conversions. Damp and condensation complaints are common, and the council has been the subject of multiple severe-failing findings in independent statutory rulings. If Southwark Council has ignored you, here's how to claim.

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How to complain about Southwark Council

If Southwark 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 Southwark 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 Southwark 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 Southwark 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.

  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 Southwark Council has ignored it, call us free. We will tell you where you stand, and you may have a claim. We deal with Southwark Council for you, and there is no cost to start.

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.
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36,800
homes managed
Grade C3
government rating: serious failings
9
severe maladministration findings (2024-25)
24hr
Awaab's Law emergency repair deadline

How Southwark Council's own tenants rate them

These are Southwark 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 · Southwark Council's own TSM page

Happy with their landlord overall58.2% vs 71.8% for most landlords (below average)
Happy with repairs65.2% vs 73.6% for most landlords (below average)
Repairs done in good time64.1% vs 69.5% for most landlords (below average)
Home kept in good repair61.5% vs 71.9% for most landlords (below average)
Happy with how complaints are handled29.6% 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.

Southwark Council by the numbers

  • •Around 36,800 council-owned homes across Southwark estates and street properties.
  • •Multiple severe-failing findings in independent statutory rulings, 2022-2024.
  • •TSM 2024-25: 58.2% overall satisfaction (sector median 71.8%).
  • •Stock concentrated in Walworth, Peckham, Camberwell and Bermondsey wards.

What you can do today

  1. 1.Submit a stage-1 complaint via mysouthwark.southwark.gov.uk with photos and a dated diary of reports.
  2. 2.Phone the repairs line on 0800 952 4444 and ask explicitly for an Awaab's Law inspection if damp or mould.
  3. 3.Stage 2 escalation is automatic in Southwark. If 8 weeks pass with no resolution, you may have a claim, call us free on 0800 030 4669.

Why work with us

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

No win, no fee

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

Nothing to pay up front

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 Southwark 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 Southwark 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 Southwark 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 Southwark Council

How do I complain about Southwark Council?
Complain to Southwark 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 Southwark Council have ignored my repairs?
Put the complaint in writing again and keep a copy, because the legal deadlines run from when Southwark 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 Southwark 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 Southwark Council for you.
How long does Southwark 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), Southwark 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, Southwark 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 Southwark Council?
Report it to Southwark 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 Southwark Council about the hazard. If they do not act within those deadlines, speak to us.
Can I claim compensation from Southwark Council?
Yes, if you've reported a hazard and Southwark 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 Southwark 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 Southwark Council?
Stage 1: formal complaint to Southwark 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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