Housing Ombudsman Avis 

I originally made a complaint to L&Q about the standard of their service at my development, which they failed to deal with, even though they had more than a year to do so. I eventually referred the matter to the Housing Ombudsman in July 2024, and a year later they have done nothing at all. Still processing the complaint. Looking at the other reviews suggests this is a failed organisation, not fit for purpose, and needs to be closed down and replaced with something more effective.

The Housing Ombudsman is a fake justice service, in that it directs, collates, then quietly buries complaints against a landlord to protect that landlord. That's its sole purpose much like the Care Quality Commission that operates in a similar way. These are fake complaint bodies designed to absolve the perpetrators of responsibility for wrongdoing.

Dont bother even engaging with them ive gone through 2 years of hell with my housing and they have done nothing. Its the old saying if you want something doing do it yourself. Waste of time dont know why they even exist as a business no help to no one. Funny reading all these comments and they havent replied back to one wonder why.

Dear friends
Today I share you of my experience with housing ombudsman team it’s been 1 years plus file a case with them and after 1 years no one available for housing ombudsman give me case listed by case working I have have issues with my landlord from last 7 years and they do anything & my landlord tell me clearly housing ombudsman do nothing for you they also a time waster it’s a free association who do nothing just to takes complaints which I get the answer from them I wasted my 1years of time believing that they help me out but now I know everyone just tuning there shops and do nothing so before you complain to housing ombudsman better to settle with landlord in some amount because they do anything for you they don’t have answers for you as well they just eating your time and time and times doing nothing ,
I hope you get me that’s why no one no one in the UK happy form them look the feedback of your work which is shameful
Stay away from all these associations because they do nothing for you better to get a lawyer or solicitors direct who deal your case
This is the best message I can provide you
Thanks

The Housing Ombudsman can only be described as not fit for purpose at best, or a complete waste of time
they took nearly 2 years looking into a complaint we had with our landlords only to get a £50.00 compensation from them and the rest of the ombudsmen s instruction IGNORED by the landlords
the Ombudsman services is not worth contacting if you require anything to be sorted out they stand with the Landlords and not the tenants
And they refuse to answer complaint about there selfies

Logged a complaint about BRIGHTON COUNCIL 18 MONTHS AGO CONCERNING TROUBLESOME AND UNSCRUPULOUS NEIGHBOURS WHICH THEY FAILED TO RECTIFY.
TOOK OMBUDSMAN 19 MONTHS TO RESPOND JUST AS A COURT CLAIM WAS BEING ISSUED!!
REALLY!!!
AND UPHELD!!
READ INTO THAT WHAT YOU WISH??

Complete waist of time and Goverment money two years plus down the line and they still havent looked at complaint .
This organisation needs closing down as definately unfit for purpose as dont do anything .Really unsure what they are paid for ???

Terrible service, take advantage of you medical illness, lie about time frames as my case is classed as a high risk and I am meant to get a response within 6months however I made my complaint to them on 17th October 2024 and on the 12th march 2025 I get told this is when the 6months begins so all in all it’s 12 months, you ring up and try speak to a caseworker and the customer advisors lie and say they can’t transfer your to them, when you request calls back they don’t call you back and you are never able to get to speak to your caseworker this service is a drain on government funding and is 100% not free and definitely not impartial they are more problems than they are help they’ve made my mental health spiral out of control and caused my self harming tendencies to flare up

A very disappointing service. The ombudsman are supposed to be an impartial service when handling cases, this has been far it!! Instead, they work against you and liaise well with the landlord and disclose information that they should not shared! My personal address details was disclosed to a third party without my knowledge, I am the representative not the complainant! In this case, I became the complainant due to breach of confidentiality.

Message to Mr Richard Blakeway, it’s imperative that you intervene in this matter, as it is clear there has been breached of confidentiality, this is a serious misconduct which violates the terms of your policy!

Staff seriously require further training and furthermore, it’s deeply concerning this case was abruptly closed as it appears manager attempts to cease and conceal this serious misconduct. This matter requires urgent further investigation by the Data Protection Office (DPO). My address remains shared to a third party as of today, and further action has now been taken by me to address this matter. The ombudsman have not responded to the seriousness of this matter, which give a poor perception of the service you provide.
Despite formally requesting the ombudsman to address this as a matter of urgency. Mr Blakeway, I urge you to read these reviews as it highlights the seriousness of the multiple failures in the services and concern around misconduct within the organisation. There bias behaviour between staff and landlords is concerning. There’s no understanding or empathy for the residents already facing challenges and distress with their landlord, only to receive further problems with the ombudsman’s poor handling and reviews of the complaints. Mr Blakeway, I urge you to READ ALL COMMENTS, it evidently highlights the seriousness and failings in the service you provide. It is concerning…

You are failing to support the ‘victims’, absolutely terrible service, a total wasted effort of sending relevant documentations that never get a looked at by the caseworker! Lots of contradictory and unnecessary statements. I would not bother to use this appalling service again! I advice anyone to get a descent lawyer instead. Don’t waste your valuable time!

These reviews explain why when I mentioned the Housing Ombudsman advised I make a "formal" complaint, Places for People were not bothered. They still haven't resolved my complaint made in early January.

The Housing Ombudsman can only be used if you've exhausted all of the housing association's internal complaints process and have a FINAL decision. So unless the housing assocation or landlord says: "we are not taking the cladding costs off your account" or "we have fixed the building issue to our satisfaction" - the ombusdsman won't accept your complaint. So it is useless for a short time solution or if your landlord keeps stalling.

Yet on their website, the Ombudsman writes that no enough people are using their services! I went back the Ombudsman to ask what to do as P4P haven't even given a reason for the delay. No answer.

Service inactive
They are a kangaroo court for the landlords
Never respond to any complaints or reply to correspondence ever

Not fit for purpose. If these reviews don't speak volumes then we are the problem. This clearly shows that common sense can't be learnt. Bring back IQ tests. After 2 years of waiting as my housing association destroyed my house, did major works without hosuing me. I lost my job and still charged me rent. The housing ombudsman gave me £1200 compensation which is less than the rent I paid for a property I couldn't live in and gave them permission to give me a waiver for them to replace my carpet that they damaged to further damage the little property I have left. My case handler was Emily - useless. Going to court now because my housing association didn't comply to them either, which speaks volumes.

The Housing Ombudsman works for landlords and not tenants. Pre Richard Blakeway the housing ombudsman was good, but they're currently terrible.

They refuse to investigate complaints. Failed to give call backs. They listen and communicate with landlords, whilst ignoring tenants. They gossip with landlords.

They fail more tenants than they help.

Housing ombudsman allows landlords to discriminate against disabled tenants and break their own policies.

When the Housing Ombudsman claims to investigate your complaint they do it extremely poorly, and the report is full of incorrect information. The last insult in this long winded and slow debacle is £50 if you're lucky.

This service is utterly useless! It does nothing but waste your time, holds no real authority, and landlords are fully aware of it. My case dragged on for nearly two years—from my initial complaint, through Stage 1 and Stage 2, before I could even escalate it to the Housing Ombudsman (HO). After all that waiting, the Adjudicator assigned to my case issued a detailed and scathing report filled with deadlines, reprimands, and multiple references to malpractice by my Housing Association (HA).

And what happened next? Absolutely nothing. The HA completely ignored the orders and recommendations, making a mockery of the entire process. When I reported this blatant disregard to the Adjudicator, their response was laughable. These were their exact words:
"If the landlord has not met the timescale it gave you, you can make a new complaint to the landlord about this. Once the complaint has completed its internal complaint process, if you remain dissatisfied, you can make a further complaint to this Service."

So, in other words, they’re suggesting I restart the whole process from scratch, simply because the landlord refused to comply. Another two years of waiting, frustration, and going in circles—what a joke!

This experience proves just how ineffective the Housing Ombudsman truly is. A service without enforcement is no service at all.

Don't bother taking your complaints to this lightweight excuse of an 'organisation', save yourself time and effort & go straight to a lawyer. Takes years for the HO to conclude a case, by which time you've lost the plot & given up, which is EXACTLY what they hope for along with the Housing Associations who deny absolutely everything so you'll eventually lose the will to live.

Absolutely disgusting. Made up my own complaint and reasoning for complaining themselves. Southern housing has lied to them and the OH is upholding the lies regardless of me contesting with evidence. Letting this housing authority do fraud, tamper with records and also lie about things. An absolutely disgusting service I wouldn’t recommend to anyone! Also won’t let you complain about them purposely misunderstanding my complaint:)

if you tell your housing association your writing to housing ombudsman.
They are very SMUG about it.AND WHY?because your housing ass.are linked up with them.l sent a detailed letter on neglected maintenace to h.o
Omg wrote back telling me..everything l wrote to them.maybe local press office can come back and help us tenants out.why pay rent on a home that is damp.no heating.hot water for 7 months.all windows blown.external doors.do not open or lock.so windows are my exit.but there quick with evictions if you owe rent??OH owing rent that is actually caused by rent office and not yourself..look out staff..what comes around goes around? ?????

On Sat. 11th January residents at our property in London W14 will record the FOURTEENTH ANNIVERSARY of an official notice produced by the Landlord’s agents on 11 Jan. 2011. This letter outlined problems with possible fire hazards and other health & safety issues associated with a basement dwelling. Despite the HOS making a decision of Severe Maladministration on 13 Sept. 2023 (69 weeks ago), the internal remedial works remain outstanding. The Ombudsman has disregarded numerous/multiple written reminders of the extended delay. Nor does the HOS appear capable of exerting any pressure on the Landlords to begin the repair work.

Absolutely useless. Very ignorant... Don't waste your time ...

Our landlord is trying to build flats on our flats. It's been a disaster. They have broken our roof. I've been in temporary accommodation for most of the year (except a period over the summer when I was made effectively homeless as my landlord refused to continue to provide temporary accommodation despite water coming through the ceiling). I referred the matter to the ombudsman, but they have taken no action. I would advise finding a reputable solicitor to take a no-win-no-fee case instead.