The Housing Ombudsman investigates unresolved complaints from residents about social landlords that are members of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme.
It can consider housing-management matters such as repairs, property condition, charges, antisocial behaviour handling and complaint handling. You normally need to use the landlord’s complaint procedure first, although the Ombudsman can help where the landlord is not responding.
Since April 2024 the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code has statutory status, so landlords covered by it have legal complaint-handling requirements.
Key points
- Use the landlord’s complaint procedure and keep stage 1/stage 2 responses.
- The Ombudsman can consider complaint handling as well as the underlying housing issue.
- The statutory Complaint Handling Code is a useful benchmark.
- Check whether the complaint is a landlord function or a council function that belongs with LGSCO.
Common complaint areas
- Repairs and property condition.
- Charges and estate/service management.
- Antisocial behaviour handling.
- Communication and delay.
- Complaint handling and compliance with the Code.
Landlord complaint evidence
Keep repair reports, photographs, inspection records, appointment dates, contractor messages, rent/service-charge statements and complaint responses. For recurring repairs, build a timeline showing report inspection promised work actual work recurrence.
Which ombudsman?
Councils can act both as landlords and public authorities. Housing management of a social tenancy will commonly sit with Housing Ombudsman; other council functions may be for LGSCO. Check the joint guidance where the boundary is unclear.
In practice
- Make clear whether you are complaining about the underlying service, complaint handling, or both.
- Photograph disrepair with dates and preserve appointment records.
- Use the Complaint Handling Code to test whether stages, acknowledgements and responses were handled properly.
What to do
A practical next-step plan
- Report the service issue.
- Make a formal complaint to the landlord.
- Complete the landlord’s complaint stages or seek Ombudsman help if it is not progressing.
- Submit the complaint with evidence.
- State the repair/correction/redress needed.
Common traps
Things that often confuse the issue
- Using LGSCO automatically just because the landlord is a council.
- Failing to distinguish a service request from a formal complaint.
- Discarding photos or contractor appointment records.
Evidence worth keeping
Where to go next
Check the Housing Ombudsman Scheme and joint jurisdiction guidance where LGSCO/Housing Ombudsman boundaries are uncertain.
Understand what the outcome can and cannot do
Housing Ombudsman can make findings and orders/recommendations within the Scheme. Read any determination issue by issue, check implementation dates, and distinguish disagreement with the merits from a genuine review, compliance or jurisdiction concern.
Keep the routes separate.
Regulator, ombudsman/ADR, statutory appeal and court proceedings can have different purposes, powers and deadlines. Using one route does not automatically preserve another.
Build the complaint for an independent reader
Housing complaints are strongest when each repair, inspection, promise, missed appointment and complaint response is dated. Identify the service standard or landlord commitment, actual outcome, continuing impact and remedy. For disrepair, distinguish the Ombudsman complaint from any separate court claim and take advice before compromising legal rights.
| If they say… | What to check or say back |
|---|---|
| “You have not completed our stage two.” | Check whether stage two was properly available, requested and concluded, and whether delay justifies Ombudsman assistance. |
| “The repair is now complete.” | Completion can resolve the physical defect without resolving delay, complaint handling or proven loss. |
| “This is for the regulator.” | Individual landlord dispute resolution and systemic regulation are different functions. |
| “The Ombudsman cannot look at anything once court is mentioned.” | Jurisdiction depends on what has actually been litigated and the Scheme rules; identify the overlap precisely. |
Check jurisdiction and timing before writing the full case
Do the gateway checks first. A perfectly argued complaint can still fail if it is sent to the wrong body, too early, too late or against a respondent outside the scheme.
- Use the landlord’s complaint process and complete both stages where required before asking for a formal Ombudsman determination.
- The Complaint Handling Code has been statutory since April 2024 and sets expectations for a two-stage landlord complaint process.
- Check landlord membership, complainant status and whether the issue is one the Scheme can investigate.
- As at 9 September 2026, the Housing Ombudsman publishes a revised Scheme due to take effect on 1 October 2026; check the applicable Scheme if your referral or decision falls across that date.
Is Housing Ombudsman actually the right body?
Housing Ombudsman resolves eligible disputes between residents and member social landlords and also performs wider complaint-handling and systemic functions. It is distinct from the Regulator of Social Housing and from the LGSCO, whose housing-related jurisdiction is different.
Check “which ombudsman?” before escalating: allocation/homelessness and some council functions may fall elsewhere, while landlord-management and tenancy service complaints can sit with Housing Ombudsman. Court proceedings and statutory appeal routes can also affect jurisdiction.
Official sources
Check the rules behind this guide
- Housing Ombudsman - Residents
- Housing Ombudsman - Complaint Handling Code
- Housing Ombudsman - Which Ombudsman?
- Housing Ombudsman: Scheme ↗
These are official or primary sources for this topic. Rules, scheme terms and deadlines can change, so check the live source before relying on a formal time limit or procedure.