New Ombudsman report identifies lessons from monitoring the Complaint Handling Code
Summary
The Housing Ombudsman has published its first report from monitoring compliance with the Complaint Handling Code, drawing on the first two years of annual submissions and complaint policy reviews. It identifies improvements in social housing complaint handling since the Code was introduced, while highlighting recurring weaknesses in complaint definitions, escalation, extensions, exclusions and stage 2 reviews.
Why it matters
Residential property surveyors working with social housing landlords may encounter the operational and governance issues highlighted in complaint handling, particularly where service failures, resident dissatisfaction or policy compliance affect asset management and landlord performance. The report also signals areas where landlords may need to strengthen processes and training, which can influence risk, reputation and dispute resolution.
Key points
- First report from the Housing Ombudsman’s duty to monitor compliance with the Complaint Handling Code
- Complaint handling in social housing has improved, but complaints remain high and often escalate
- Common policy weaknesses include unclear complaint definitions, extension handling and exclusions
- Stage 2 complaint reviews are often inadequate and may need better resourcing and training
- The Ombudsman says decentralised complaints models can create risks and hinder learning
This is an RPSA summary of a publicly available article. The full content remains with the original publisher.
