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How to complain about Stoke-on-Trent City Council, and what to do if they ignore you

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Stoke-on-Trent City Council manages around 18,000 council homes directly across the six towns. The service has been the focus of a tenant-led damp campaign since 2023 and the council acknowledged in 2024 that response times were not meeting the statutory complaint-handling code targets.

A low-rise British council housing estate

Stoke's stock includes a significant number of inter-war and post-war semi-detached homes with no original cavity-wall insulation, retrofitted in stages from the 1990s. Where insulation was installed without adequate ventilation upgrades, damp followed. That's a known pattern, the council's own surveys confirm it. If Stoke-on-Trent City Council has ignored you, here's how to claim.

How to complain about Stoke-on-Trent City Council

If Stoke-on-Trent 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 Stoke-on-Trent 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 Stoke-on-Trent 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 Stoke-on-Trent 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.

  4. 4

    If a repair is still not fixed, get free advice. If Stoke-on-Trent City Council has ignored disrepair such as damp, mould, a leak or broken heating, call us free.

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What happens after you send the form

  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.
18,000
homes managed
24hr
Awaab's Law emergency repair deadline
10 days
to investigate a serious hazard
6 years
you have to make a claim

A real Stoke-on-Trent City Council case decided by an independent ruling

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

£1,000
Stoke-on-Trent City Council ordered to pay £1,000 after leaving children in damp and mould
independent statutory ruling · case 202004616

Stoke-on-Trent City Council by the numbers

  • •Around 18,000 council-owned homes across the six towns of Stoke-on-Trent.
  • •Tenant-led damp campaign documented in regional press 2023-2024.
  • •Council acknowledged complaints-handling shortfall in 2024.

What you can do today

  1. 1.Submit a complaint at stoke.gov.uk/contact-us/comments-suggestions-and-complaints with photos and dates.
  2. 2.Phone repairs on 01782 234 234 and request an Awaab's Law investigation within 10 working days (24 hours if it's an emergency).
  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 Stoke-on-Trent 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 Stoke-on-Trent City Council

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 Stoke-on-Trent 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 Stoke-on-Trent City Council

How do I complain about Stoke-on-Trent City Council?
Complain to Stoke-on-Trent 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 Stoke-on-Trent City Council have ignored my repairs?
Put the complaint in writing again and keep a copy, because the legal deadlines run from when Stoke-on-Trent 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 Stoke-on-Trent City Council'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 Stoke-on-Trent City Council have to fix my repair?
Awaab's Law (added to the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, in force from 27 October 2025) gives Stoke-on-Trent City Council 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 Stoke-on-Trent City Council?
Report it to Stoke-on-Trent 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 Stoke-on-Trent City Council about the hazard. If they do not act within those deadlines, speak to us.
Can I claim compensation from Stoke-on-Trent City Council?
Yes, if you've reported a hazard and Stoke-on-Trent City Council 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 Stoke-on-Trent 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 Stoke-on-Trent City Council?
Stage 1: formal complaint to Stoke-on-Trent 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, not a promise; every case is different.

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