Housing Ombudsman introduces the Statutory Complaint Handling Code

In October 2023, the Housing Ombudsman Service consulted on their Complaint Handling Code, ushered in by the Social Housing Regulation Act. 

Following the consultation, the Housing Ombudsman Service introduced the revised Complaint Handling Code. The Code provides a set of standards for complaint procedures that housing providers are required to comply with.  

At the NHF, we know our members are already working to provide the services that residents expect from their landlord and are continuously taking steps to improve the way they deal with complaints. 

We support the aims of the Code and believe it will help establish consistency in complaint handling across the sector. We welcome the positive changes to the way complaints are handled for residents and will continue to work closely with the Housing Ombudsman to make sure residents have access to quick and fair redress when things go wrong. 

What are the next steps for the Complaint Handling Code? 

The Code will become statutory from 1st April, and will place a legal duty on the Ombudsman to monitor whether housing associations comply with the Code, regardless of whether the service receives a complaint from residents about their landlord. 

As set out in the consultation, landlords are required to submit their self-assessment against the Code annually, alongside their Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs). 

In preparation for the new Code, the Housing Ombudsman Service is offering free webinars, through their Centre for Learning, to support landlords in implementing the Code. These are offered for both small housing associations and those with over 1,000 homes. 
 
If you have any questions about the revised Complaint Handling Code, please contact us using the details below.