Ombudsman publishes complaints data per London borough as half come from the capital

The ombudsman warned that it is “important to note” that the statistics are by local authority area. “The landlord may not have been the local authority, but one of the many housing associations and other social housing providers that operate in London,” the report said. 

It said that in line with the acute housing crisis in the capital, most indicators reveal poorer outcomes in London for residents. The ombudsman’s severe maladministration rate was at 9.3% compared with 7.4% for the rest of the country, and an overall maladministration rate of 77% compared with 68.5% for England. 

The uphold rate on property condition, including repairs and health and safety, is also the highest in the country.

According to the report: “While acknowledging that London homes do have a different profile to the rest of the country, the relative proportion that is classed as non-decent is lower than the rest of the country – therefore it cannot be said that the quality issues we see are driven solely by the materials and age of the homes.”

Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said that although the issues complained about are “broadly the same as the rest of the country”, the operating environment for landlords in the capital is “vastly different from most other areas”. 

He explained this can present unique and acute challenges, adding: “The housing crisis is intense in London, with under-resourcing and pressures that are outside of landlords’ control.

“These challenges and the impact it has on individuals is clear and evident in our casework.

“However, there are still too many cases where residents have not been treated fairly, or basic obligations reasonably met.”

Mr Blakeway stated that no other region of England has “such a wide gap between the proportion of social housing and complaints”. 

The ombudsman also said that if the subsequent customer service was “reasonable” when complaints were raised, it would uphold fewer cases. 

The report highlighted learning from different complaints areas, such as building safety, anti-social behaviour and district heating. 

The ombudsman that a positive complaints culture “starts from the top”. “It is crucial leadership and governance are seen to support the complaints function,” the ombudsman said. 

It said it is important a landlord “does not lose sight of the person” at the centre of the issue, “does not blame them for the situation”, and makes sure “there is a continuous assessment of whether the remedial actions taken remain appropriate or whether a decant is now necessary”.

Landlords need to be clear on their role and responsibilities, as well as proactively work with third parties and have robust service agreements in place, the watchdog said. 

It also said that insight and intelligence from complaints “should be used strategically”. “This ranges from effective root cause analysis of casework through to identifying risks and horizon scanning,” it said. 

Mr Blakeway said: “Landlords must ensure they are equipped to respond to these operational complexities and neither allow them to obscure poor performance, nor be overwhelmed by them. There are far too many cases of residents being treated unfairly or unreasonably.

“Our casework reveals how poor communication and record management can compound existing challenges. It also indicates some poor resource planning, risk assessment and service oversight.”