Camden Council is updating its policy for handling property management complaints, aiming for a fairer and more balanced approach that aligns with the Housing Ombudsman's expectations. The updated policy addresses a rise in complaints, particularly regarding repairs, over the past 12 months.

The Audit and Corporate Governance Committee reviewed the proposed changes at a meeting on 2 July 2025. The revised policy, outlined in the Audit and Corporate Governance Committee - local compensation remedies policy Property Management document, is the result of six months of collaboration between residents from the Housing Customer Oversight Panel and council officers.

The key updates to the policy include:

  • Clarifying eligibility: The policy now clearly outlines the circumstances under which compensation payments or other remedies may be considered, such as service failures or mishandling of complaints.
  • Defining financial remedies: A comprehensive explanation of financial remedies is included, defining terms like delay or unsuitable accommodation. Compensation levels are categorised based on the severity of impact.
  • Updating compensation amounts: Compensation amounts have been reviewed and increased where appropriate. For example, the amount for 'time and trouble' was previously between £100 and £300, but this has now been raised to £100 to £400.
  • Clarifying lift reimbursement: Specific guidance on compensation for lift outages has been reintroduced, with clearer criteria on when residents are eligible.
  • Providing payment processing details: The policy includes detailed information on how compensation is paid once a complaint is upheld.
  • Offering appeal and escalation guidance: Step-by-step guidance is provided on how to appeal Stage 1 and Stage 2 outcomes, as well as how to escalate complaints to the Housing Ombudsman.
  • Listing additional resources and support: The updated policy includes links to useful resources, such as the tenants' handbook and the Housing Ombudsman's compensation framework.

The council aims to launch the updated policy on 1 August 2025, following staff training and a communications plan for residents.

According to the meeting reports, expenditure on compensation related to formal complaints has increased considerably, and the Property Management budget for all types of compensation was overspent in both 2023/24 and 2024/25. The Audit and Corporate Governance Committee - local compensation remedies policy Property Management document notes that the Property Management budget for all types of compensation was considerably overspent in both 2023/24 and 2024/25.

The council hopes that the new policy will reduce the number of complaints escalated to the Housing Ombudsman, which involve higher levels of compensation. The service aims to reduce the number of cases escalated to the Housing Ombudsman by implementing key changes in how compensation is assessed early on. The service anticipates that the new policy should be broadly cost neutral and will not increase the average amount of compensation per case. The council hopes that reduced escalations to the Housing Ombudsman will lead to reduced expenditure on compensation.