Make a complaint to resolve an issue with a managing agent or landlord

If your building has a managing agent, contact them about the issue first.

If you have no managing agent, or they have not resolved the issue, contact the landlord to clearly report the issue and explain what action you want them to take.

Give them a chance to resolve the issue before you make a formal complaint.

• Property managers, including managing agents, must be a member of a redress scheme (an independent organisation for resolving complaints). As a member, they must provide a formal, written complaints procedure.
• Social landlords (local authorities and registered social housing providers) must be registered with the Housing Ombudsman Service. Membership is voluntary for private landlords. Members must follow the Complaints Handling Code.
• Private landlords do not have to belong to a scheme for resolving complaints or have a formal written complaints procedure.

Check emails, letters and bills you have received from your managing agent or landlord for details of their complaints policy, or check their website if they have one. There will usually be a postal or email address for you to send your complaint to.

Your complaint should:

• be clearly labelled as a complaint
• explain what went wrong
• explain when things went wrong
• say what you want to happen to resolve the complaint

The Housing Ombudsman has a ‘make a complaint’ template letter.

Follow any instructions in the complaints procedure about how to send your complaint. If they do not have a complaints procedure, write to the manager or managing agent.

Keep copies of all correspondence. This will be helpful if the problem is not resolved and you need to take further action.

Managing agents

If your complaint is not resolved (or you receive no response) within the time stated in the managing agent’s complaints procedure, you can refer your complaint to their redress scheme. This is a free, independent service for resolving complaints about managing agents.

Find out how to use a redress scheme

Landlords

If complaining to the landlord has not resolved the issue, you could consider:

• alternative dispute resolution: a variety of ways to settle disagreements without going to a tribunal or court
• taking legal action (this should usually be a last resort)
• options for changing the management of your building, if there are ongoing problems or if the leaseholders would like to have more control over how the building is run

Find out more about the next steps you can take to resolve disputes with landlords or managing agents.