How to Complain to the Housing Ombudsman (2026)

The Housing Ombudsman Service is a free, independent dispute-resolution body for social housing residents in England. Established under the Housing Act 1996, it investigates complaints about member landlords — mainly housing associations and local authorities — and has the power to order remedies when it finds that a landlord has got things wrong. If your landlord is a member of the scheme and you believe it has mishandled your complaint, you can ask the Ombudsman to step in once you have exhausted the landlord's own process.

Our index currently holds 16,224 published determinations, including 2,499 findings of severe maladministration — evidence of both the volume of disputes the Ombudsman resolves and the seriousness of the failings it identifies. This guide explains exactly how the process works, what you can expect at each stage, and how to use the published decisions to understand what might happen in your case.

Who can complain and when you can escalate

You can bring a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman if you are a resident of a social landlord that is a member of the scheme. This includes assured tenants, secure tenants, leaseholders, shared owners, and in some cases former residents who are complaining about events during their tenancy. You can also ask a representative — such as a family member, advocate, or adviser — to submit the complaint on your behalf, provided the Ombudsman has your consent to discuss your case with them.

The vast majority of social landlords in England are members of the scheme. Membership is a requirement for most providers of social housing, so if you rent from a housing association or council landlord, it is almost certainly covered. You can check the membership list on the Housing Ombudsman website if you are unsure.

Before the Ombudsman will investigate, you normally need to exhaust your landlord's own complaints process first. This means giving the landlord a fair opportunity to respond to your complaint through its formal procedure. The landlord must handle complaints in line with the Ombudsman's Complaint Handling Code, which sets out two formal stages — Stage 1 and Stage 2 — plus a "self-resolution" stage where the landlord can try to put things right quickly. The Code also requires landlords to acknowledge complaints promptly and to keep residents informed of progress.

If the landlord does not provide a final response within eight weeks of your complaint being logged, or if you are unhappy with its final response, you can escalate to the Ombudsman. You no longer need to go through a designated person or Member of Parliament first — the rules were changed so you can submit your complaint directly. This eight-week rule is important: it protects residents from landlords that delay or ignore complaints indefinitely.

There are some clear limits to the Ombudsman's jurisdiction. It cannot investigate matters that are the subject of live court proceedings, that fall to another body (such as the police, the Regulator of Social Housing, or the First-tier Tribunal), or that are outside the Ombudsman's Scheme. It also will not usually investigate a complaint that has already been determined, unless there is new evidence. If you are unsure whether your complaint qualifies, the Ombudsman's website provides an eligibility checker and detailed guidance.

The step-by-step process

The complaints journey follows six clear stages. Treating each stage carefully improves your chances of a well-documented case and a timely outcome. The process is designed to be accessible without legal representation, though you are welcome to seek advice.

What the Ombudsman can order

When the Ombudsman completes its investigation, it issues a determination — a formal written decision on each part of the complaint. The determination sets out the background, the evidence considered, the Ombudsman's assessment, and the outcome for each "complaint head". The possible outcomes are:

• No maladministration — the landlord acted reasonably and in line with its obligations. The Ombudsman found no failing in how the landlord handled that part of the complaint.
• Maladministration — the landlord failed to meet its obligations and that failure adversely affected the resident. The Ombudsman typically orders the landlord to put things right.
• Partial maladministration — there was a failing, but it was more limited in scope or impact. For example, the landlord may have got some things right and some things wrong, or the impact on the resident was lower.
• Severe maladministration — the most serious finding, reserved for prolonged failures, repeated failings across a complaint, or a significant adverse impact on the resident. It usually attracts the strongest orders and the highest compensation.

Where the Ombudsman finds maladministration (including partial or severe), it makes orders that the landlord must comply with. These orders are not suggestions — the Ombudsman monitors compliance and can take further action if the landlord fails to follow them. Common orders include:

• An apology to the resident, sometimes at a senior level.
• Financial compensation, calculated under the Ombudsman's remedies guidance. The amount reflects the severity and duration of the failing and the impact on the resident.
• Completing outstanding repairs or taking other specific action.
• Reviewing a policy or procedure to prevent the same failing happening again.
• Changing a process to improve how the landlord handles similar complaints.
• Staff training to address identified weaknesses.

Compensation is not automatic and there is no fixed tariff. The Ombudsman weighs several factors: how serious the failing was, how long it lasted, the distress and inconvenience caused, and whether the landlord had already recognised the failing and offered a fair remedy. Across the published determinations in our index, the Housing Ombudsman has ordered a total of £7,607,904 in compensation. The median award is £450, with individual awards ranging from £9 to £358,282. These figures are indicative of past published cases only and do not predict any individual outcome. For a fuller explanation, see our guide to Housing Ombudsman compensation.

You can also see which landlords have the most serious findings by exploring the severe maladministration league table.

How to read your determination

A determination is the Ombudsman's final written decision. It is structured so that both residents and landlords can follow the reasoning clearly. Most determinations contain the following sections:

• Summary — a brief overview of the complaint, the landlord, and the overall outcome.
• Background — the chronology of events, including the resident's complaint and the landlord's responses.
• Jurisdiction — confirmation that the complaint is within the Ombudsman's remit and that the resident has exhausted the landlord's process.
• Assessment — the Ombudsman's analysis of each complaint head, including what the landlord did, what it should have done, and whether there was a failing.
• Outcome — the formal finding for each complaint head (no maladministration, maladministration, partial, or severe).
• Orders — what the landlord must do, by when, and any compensation amount.

Each determination is assigned a case reference (for example, a year and number) and a publication date. You can search determinations by landlord, date, category, or keyword. Reading a few determinations that involve complaints similar to yours can help you understand how the Ombudsman applies its guidance in practice.

If you want to see how determinations are structured, you can browse real published decisions in our decisions database or read our guide to maladministration findings for a plain-English explanation of the outcomes and what they mean.

Tips that strengthen your complaint

A well-prepared complaint is easier for the Ombudsman to assess and can lead to a quicker resolution. These practical tips can help:

• Put everything in writing and keep dated copies of all correspondence, photos, repair reports, and medical evidence.
• Be specific: state exactly what went wrong, the dates it happened, and how it affected you or your household.
• Say clearly what remedy you want — for example, a repair, an apology, reimbursement of costs, or compensation.
• Note the landlord's response dates so you can show when the process was exhausted or when the eight-week point was reached.
• Include any evidence that the landlord breached its own policies or the Complaint Handling Code.
• Keep your submissions concise and focused on the facts. The Ombudsman needs evidence, not opinion.
• If the landlord offers a remedy during the process, consider whether it is fair before rejecting it outright — the Ombudsman will take account of any reasonable offer.

Where to get free help

If you would like support with your complaint, free advice is available from Citizens Advice, Shelter, and your local law centre. Some housing associations also have resident panels or independent advisers who can help you draft your complaint. This guide is an information resource and does not constitute legal advice. If your situation involves complex legal rights — for example, disrepair claims that might be better suited to court — you should speak to a solicitor or legal adviser.

Sources

• Housing Ombudsman Service — Make a complaint
• Housing Ombudsman Service — Complaint Handling Code
• Housing Ombudsman Service — Our Scheme
• Housing Ombudsman Service — Remedies guidance
• legislation.gov.uk — Housing Act 1996
• gov.uk — Social housing complaints