How to use the free Housing Ombudsman service if your social landlord ignores you

If you rent from a council or housing association, you have the right to expect repairs, fair treatment, and your complaints taken seriously. When your landlord falls short, the Housing Ombudsman Service can step in. It is free, independent, and has real power to make your landlord act.

The service has a new interim Housing Ombudsman in post since 1 August 2026, and continues to take and investigate complaints as normal.

Who can use it?

You can use the Housing Ombudsman if you are a council tenant or housing association tenant in England and you have already tried your landlord's own complaints process without a result you are happy with.

The Ombudsman can investigate many types of issue, not just repairs. For example:

• Damp, mould, or hazards your landlord has not fixed
• Anti-social behaviour your landlord has failed to address
• Poor communication or unreasonable delays
• Disputes about service charges

Step 1 — tell your landlord in writing

As soon as a problem appears, report it to your landlord in writing. An email or letter works better than a phone call because it gives you a record with a date on it.

Keep it short: what the problem is, when it started, and what you need done.

Step 2 — use your landlord's formal complaints process

If your landlord does not act, ask them for their formal complaints procedure. Every council and housing association must have one.

Your landlord must reply within 10 working days of receiving a formal complaint, with clear details of what they will do and when.

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Step 3 — go to the Housing Ombudsman

If you are not satisfied with your landlord's final answer — or they miss the 10-working-day deadline — you can take your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman.

You can do this:

• Online at housingombudsman.org.uk
• By phone on 0300 111 3000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)

The Ombudsman looks at your complaint independently. If they find your landlord got things wrong, they can order the landlord to:

• Carry out the repair or take the required action
• Pay you financial compensation
• Give you a formal written apology
• Change the way they handle complaints

All of this is free for you — no legal fees, no court costs.

You cannot be punished for complaining

The law protects you from retaliation. Your landlord cannot evict you, harass you, or treat you worse because you made a complaint or contacted the Ombudsman.

If you feel your landlord is treating you badly after you complained, contact Citizens Advice or Shelter straight away for free advice.