Ask the Ombudsman
This form will be open to submit a question for the Ombudsman when there is an upcoming Meet the Ombudsman meeting. To submit a question to the forum you will need to register for an account via the home page.
Please note, we will not respond to questions about individual cases or landlords and cannot provide an update on a case that you have with the service.
This form will be open to submit a question for the Ombudsman when there is an upcoming Meet the Ombudsman meeting. To submit a question to the forum you will need to register for an account via the home page.
Please note, we will not respond to questions about individual cases or landlords and cannot provide an update on a case that you have with the service.
Ask the Ombudsman
Please feel free to submit a question for the Ombudsman. Where possible, we will answer the question publicly on this forum and may ask the question at any upcoming Meet the Ombudsman meeting.
Please note, we will not respond to questions about individual cases or landlords and cannot provide an update on a case that you have with the service.
We aim to respond to all questions within 15 working days, however, we may sometimes take a little longer as we need to ask experts across the organisation.
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How do we deal with a social housing landlord who continues to bill a tenant for a service that is not - and never has - been provided (in spite of court action whereby to avoid compliance with a court order - demanding a breakdown of what the rent covers and what the service charges are - the landlord discontinued proceedings and later FTT decisions which confirmed that the S13 Notices were all invalid due to the day of the week being incorrect) and which results in threatening letters alleging rent arrears? My parliamentary associates feel this situation may be worthy of instigating a private prosecution for misrepresentation and for demanding money with menaces (both offences carry significant prison sentences). Any thoughts from the Ombudsman or any other member of the resident panel?
Ianjpr asked about 2 months agoHello. Thank you for your question. We cannot consider the reasonableness of a service charge or issues that have been subject to legal/ tribunal findings. In some cases we can consider the landlord's handling of a rent or service charge account - including its request for information or a breakdown of costs. If you are unhappy with how your landlord has handled the account you can make a complaint via its complaint procedure.
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A complaint was responded to at stage one after a 10 day extension. The complainant took it to Stage 2. The landlord took 20 days then stated they needed another 20 days. After that extension, the landlord now states they need a further 20 days. The only reason given is: At the moment we are unable to respond to your complaint we require further time to review the case. Are two extensions, each 20 working days, allowed at stage 2?
Aes asked about 1 month agoHello. Thank you for your question. No, the Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code states that an extension to providing a stage 2 response must be no more than 20 working days, without good reason. Our Dispute Support team can contact your landlord and tell it to respond. For help please use our online webform and upload a copy of the extension responses or send an email with responses attached to info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk
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Hi I've been making complaints about anti social behaviour to my landlord for the past two and a half years with no success due to loud music coming from a downstairs neighbour the neighbour in question has been under investigation for a while now but to me as its causing me mental health issues I need them to act appropriately to resolve this matter what else can I do for this to stop thank you Micheal eaves
Mikey asked about 2 months agoHello. Thank you for your question. If you do not think your landlord has responded to reports of antisocial behaviour or noise appropriately you can make a complaint via its complaint procedure. More information can be found on our website: Antisocial behaviour | Fact sheet | Housing Ombudsman
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If a complaint has been closed after Stage 2 but the action taken by the landlord was not adequate can the complainant as for the case to be reopened or must a new complaint be made even though it involves the same case? And is their a time limit?
Aes asked 2 months agoHello. If the issues have not been resolved after receiving a stage 2 response from the landlord or the landlord did not carry out the actions it said it would in its response, you can refer the complaint to us. However, we can only consider a complaint where the stage 2 response is dated 12 months or less ago. We can only consider issues that have been through the landlord's complaint process. We would not be able to look at any new issues arising since the date of the stage 2 response.
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If a complainant has turned down Stage 1 response and requests to proceed to Stage 2 must the landlord then provide the name and contact details of the new complaint handler? Can the complainant give updates on the complaint to the new handler ?
Aes asked 3 months agoWe would expect the landlord to let a resident know who will be handling their complaint and must provide a way to contact that person/ team, however, this may not be a direct email address or phone number to an individual. We would expect the landlord to inform a resident how they can contact it to provide updates or seek updates on their case.
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Reading the latest news update regarding disabilities and adaptations I see southern housing was one and that they promise it won't happen again. I had to go through 2 stages of complaint as they would not respond when i received paperwork from them regarding fire risks and disabilities it said raise concerns so I did as I couldn't hear the fire alarm when I didn't have my hearing aids in. They ignored me for months,even though I kept chasing, stage 1 ignored it, so I raised to stage 2 keeping on at them as I was really worried if a fire happened. This took around 6 mths plus before finally addressing. My question is should I have reported this to you as well, as they are NOT addressing things quickly and causing a lot of stress with it.
Tracey asked 3 months agoWe continue to monitor the landlord’s actions in relation to the recommendations in our Special Report. As per its Regulatory Judgement in August 2024, the Regulator is also seeking assurance from the landlord on its progress against the action plan it created to deliver against our recommendations. If you are unhappy with your landlord’s stage 2 response to your complaint, you can approach us for help - as long as the response is dated within the last 12 months.
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Does a tenant have a right to see the survey of the condition of their property?
Isobel asked 3 months agoThere is no specific requirement for a landlord to share a property condition survey with the resident. If the resident had concerns about the survey findings or the way it was carried out, the resident should make the landlord aware so that it can respond to any concerns.
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Is it right that settle housing group issue a notice of seeking possession to all people with arrears, even though a repayment agreement is maintained? This is their arrears procedure. No court action is initiated. When the notice expires after 12 months, a new notice is then issued for another 12 months. Surely this is classed as harassment? They have taken away their Human Right to feel "safe" in their home, living permanently under a possession notice!
Juliet S asked 3 months ago
A landlord can serve an Notice Seeking Possession (NSP) when there are arrears on a resident’s account. This is the first step in the possession (eviction) process. The order will set out how soon landlords can apply to court to start the possession process. Usually for assured tenant’s this is after 2 weeks, and for secure this is after 4 weeks. An NSP is usually valid for 12 months, so after the notice period has expired, the landlord can apply to court at any point during that 12 month period. If a repayment agreement has been reached with the resident, landlords may continue to renew the NSP if arrears are still on the account until the account is cleared. This way, if the resident fails to make payments as per the repayment agreement, the landlord can apply to court without having to wait.Further information about Notice Seeking Possession/ eviction proceedings is available on Shelter's website: Rent arrears notice in social housing - Shelter England
There should also be a help number on the notice itself and through the gov.uk website: Understanding the possession action process: A guide for social rented tenants in England - GOV.UK
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How can the Housing Ombudsman Service incentivise landlords to resolve complaints at Stage 1 or Stage 2? Many landlord appear to pass complaints to the HOS (hoping the tenant is too exhausted / old / busy / infirm / ...) to continue through to the HOS. It is already an uneven playing field where landlord staff have unlimited resources / lawyers and are paid to do their job, whereas tenants are using their free time and resources to make the complaint.
Isobel asked 3 months agoThank you for your question. We have not seen evidence of landlords allowing complaints to come to us in order for residents not to get redress. We also see cases being closed through resolution through the landlord's complaint process. We are trying to level the playing field as much as we can and our caseworkers are working hard to get landlords to do the right thing early. In the coming months, we are going to be accelerating our early resolution powers to get more complaints resolved before the need for a formal investigation.
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When a landlord gives out personal information (such as names) when it could have referred to the person as "the tenant of [number] [street name]" - for example in mediation - who is responsible for answering the complaint? Housing or the Data Processing Officer?
Isobel asked 3 months agoHi Isobel. Thank you for your question. If you are unhappy with the way your landlord has handled personal information about you, you should let it know. You can follow its complaint process. The landlord should respond to your complaint in line with its complaint procedure. We can investigate complaints about how landlords have responded to reports of antisocial behaviour and its handling of the case. In some case, we might determine that a complaint specifically about the landlord's handling or sharing of personal information would fall under the remit of the Information Commissioners Office to consider. More information about this service can be found on their website: Information Commissioner's Office