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

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The City of Westminster Council manages around 12,000 council homes directly across the borough. The stock is concentrated in Westbourne, Church Street, Queen's Park and Pimlico wards, with a significant proportion of post-war estates including the Walterton and Elgin Community Homes transfer area.

British social-housing houses on a green estate

Westminster's stock has been the focus of multiple independent statutory rulings over the past five years, particularly around damp in older block stock. Westminster also has a long-running Edgware Road regeneration programme, and repairs on regeneration-zone estates have been notably slower than elsewhere in the borough. Regeneration is not a Section 11 defence. If Westminster Council has ignored you, here's how to claim.

How to complain about City of Westminster Council

If City of Westminster 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 City of Westminster 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 City of Westminster 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 City of Westminster 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 City of Westminster Council has ignored disrepair such as damp, mould, a leak or broken heating, call us free.

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  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.
12,000
homes managed
Grade C1
government rating: meeting standards
24hr
Awaab's Law emergency repair deadline
10 days
to investigate a serious hazard

City of Westminster Council by the numbers

  • •Around 12,000 council-owned homes across Westminster wards.
  • •Stock concentrated in Westbourne, Church Street, Queen's Park and Pimlico.
  • •Edgware Road regeneration programme affecting multiple estates.
  • •Multiple independent statutory rulings 2020-2025 relating to damp handling.

What you can do today

  1. 1.Submit a stage-1 complaint at westminster.gov.uk/comments-complaints-suggestions.
  2. 2.Phone repairs on 0800 358 3783 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.

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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 City of Westminster 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 City of Westminster 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 City of Westminster 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 City of Westminster Council

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