Got a complaint? Let us know so we can put it right

We always welcome hearing your feedback, and if you feel we have got something wrong please let us know so that we can put it right.

Before submitting a complaint, it’s first important to contact us and ask that we rectify the matter. Whatever the housing query, simply call 023 8083 3006 (select option 7) or send us an email, and we will be happy to help.

If you have reported an issue and you’re not satisfied with our response and feel the problem still isn’t fixed, you can then make a formal complaint using our online complaint form. We hope you never have reason to do this, but we do have a complaints process in place, and it is important that you know how you can hold us to account if needed.

After a formal complaint is made online, we will investigate and decide on the most suitable course of action and respond to you within 10 working days to let you know what is happening. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome of your complaint, there are two options available:

You can request that your issue is referred to the Tenants’ Panel for informal review. The Panel, which is made up of tenants, will then look into the issue and give a view on whether the council’s reply is fair and balanced or if it needs to be amended.

Alternatively, you can request a formal review by the Complaints Resolution Team. This team is independent of the service area complained about and includes trained and experienced complaints investigators who can review a complaint on behalf of the council and respond to you within 20 working days.

If, after this, you are still unhappy with the way your complaint has been handled or feel your issue hasn’t been resolved effectively, you can then escalate your concerns to the national Housing Ombudsman for an independent and impartial dispute resolution service.

The Housing Ombudsman has established a Complaint Handling Code to ensure providers of social housing follow a set of guidelines on how to deal with and respond to complaints effectively and fairly. We have a legal duty to follow these guidelines (and report on our performance) as part of new housing regulations, including the Tenant Satisfaction Measures.

In order to empower more residents to have a say on how complaints are handled, the Housing Ombudsman launched a Resident Panel. Two Southampton City Council tenants have recently been accepted onto the Panel in order to make their voices heard on a national stage. Check out future issues of Tenants’ Link for an update on their work and for further articles on how we learn from complaints.