Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS)
Councils are addressing a surge in housing complaints, with new Housing Ombudsman Service codes and resident awareness contributing to the rise.
Wandsworth Council's Cabinet discussed a 130% surge in housing complaints for 2025-26 in July 2026, attributing it to greater resident awareness and the Housing Ombudsman Complaints Handling Code. Harrow Council's Annual Housing Complaints Report in July 2026 also showed an 89% rise in Stage 1 and 221% in Stage 2 complaints for 2025-26, driven by issues like repairs and damp, and improved access to the complaints process.
Hillingdon Council reported in February 2026 an increase in upheld complaints to Ombudsman services, including the Housing Ombudsman Service, following the implementation of new Complaint Handling Codes in April 2024. These codes reclassified informal complaints as 'Service Request'. The Housing Ombudsman Service investigates complaints about housing services, resolving disputes between residents and social landlords in England.
Key facts
- Wandsworth Council's housing complaints increased by 130% in 2025-26 compared to the previous year. Source
- Harrow Council saw an 89% rise in Stage 1 housing complaints and a 221% rise in Stage 2 complaints during 2025-26. Source
- Wandsworth Council's Cabinet discussed the Housing Management Annual Complaints Report on July 29, 2026. Source
- New Complaint Handling Codes were implemented on April 1, 2024, by both the Housing Ombudsman Service and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. Source
- Hillingdon Council's Standards Committee reviewed standards and ethics indicators for 2025 in February 2026. Source
About this summary
This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 30 September 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.