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Housing Ombudsman Service
Welcome to your monthly update from the Housing Ombudsman, featuring the latest news and insights on complaint handling. You can now book your place at the March 2026 landlord forums!
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Our Business Plan consultation now open
Our business plan consultation is now open. Have your say on our strategic approach and priorities for 2026-27. The consultation is open to landlords, residents, and the wider sector.
This is your opportunity to shape how we respond to record demand and support earlier resolution of complaints.
The consultation runs from 5 March to 26 March 2026.
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Making apologies
New training module
Sometimes, an apology alone can be enough to remedy the situation. To support this, we have launched a new bitesize training module on apologies. Log in to the Learning Hub to access it.
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New guidance
Compensation
We have released new compensation guidance alongside our severe maladministration report. Created with input from landlords and residents, it sets out clear, fair principles to encourage greater consistency across the sector. This guidance takes effect from 1 April 2026.
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Celebrating good practice |
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Waltham Forest and Colchester councils
Learning from complaints
Discover how landlords got it right after our determinations. We're joined by an investigator from our Dispute Resolution team to hear how Waltham Forest and Colchester councils responded following determinations on cases involving damp and mould, leaks, complaint handling and repairs.
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North Devon homes
Learning from complaints webinar
Join us for this free webinar as part of our learning from complaint series.
We will be joined North Devon Homes who will be sharing their learning after reducing maladministration.
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Landlord forums are back in March 2026
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Stay compliant with complaints |
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Our investigation process
Did you know we have 4 stages to our investigation process to decide the best route to resolution for residents?
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STAIRS consultation
Have your say
There's still time to respond to our consultation on how we will handle complaints under the Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRS). This will shape how we work with Private Registered Providers on these complaints.
Consultation ends on 17 March 2026
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Let residents know about our online webform
To make things quicker, we are asking residents to use our online complaint form to bring a complaint to us. We will no longer accept new cases by email.
Please ask residents who want to bring a new complaint to us to use our online complaint form. Ensure your complaints procedure information includes our complaint webpage and helpline number: 0300 111 3000.You can still contact us in a range of ways, including via email for existing cases.
Contact us
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Latest podcast
Repairs and maintenance
In this episode, we are joined by Daniel Churton who has many years of sector experience working for both a large landlord and a social housing repairs contractor.
Daniel gives his perspective on:
- repairs and maintenance
- good practice in the sector
- what still needs improvement
Listen to Daniel
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About the Housing Ombudsman Service
We are a free and impartial dispute resolution service. We investigate complaints from residents and leaseholders of member landlords (housing associations and local authorities) and voluntary members (private landlords and letting agents).
Our vision is to improve residents’ lives and landlords’ services through housing complaints.
Residents | Landlords | Contact us
Connect with us on LinkedIn
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