Flagship Government Campaign Empowers Social Tenants to Make Complaints

Social Tenants encouraged to Complain by Government

The UK's Housing Secretary, Michael Gove, is leading the charge for better social housing conditions. He is urging tenants to report any substandard living conditions as part of the government's "Make Things Right" advertising campaign, which launched on 6 March 2023.

The campaign's main goal is to empower residents to speak out by encouraging them to first complain to their landlord and then escalate the issue to the Housing Ombudsman if they are not satisfied with the landlord's response.

The government has already taken significant steps to protect social housing tenants, such as introducing Awaab's Law, which imposes time limits for landlords to fix damp and mould issues, and requiring social housing managers to hold mandatory qualifications to ensure a high standard of service.

The national advertising campaign will employ images of black mould and leaking ceilings, which will appear on social media platforms like NextDoor, as well as radio and streaming platforms like Spotify, in over six different languages.

In addition to the advertising campaign, training will also be provided in two pilot areas, namely London and the North West, to help them better assist residents who encounter issues with their homes.

Meanwhile, the Housing Secretary has called out Lambeth Council for their inadequate handling of complaints, following a damning maladministration finding by the Housing Ombudsman earlier this month. The Secretary is demanding answers from the council on their failure to address issues such as damp, mould, and complaints. This follows a special report published a year ago that highlighted Lambeth's repeated failure to handle complaints effectively.

Housing Secretary Michael Gove said:

"Too many social housing tenants are being let down and ignored. This government is determined to stand up for them and give them a proper voice. They deserve a decent, safe and secure home, just like everybody else."

"So we are shining a light on rogue landlords that ignore their tenants time and again and allow families to live in disrepair."

"This campaign will make sure tenants know their rights and how to make a complaint – giving them the confidence to go to the Ombudsman and ensure action is taken."

The government's social housing resident panel, comprising more than 200 residents nationwide, has revealed findings that show 65% of members reported unsatisfactory experiences in raising complaints with their landlords. Some of the key issues raised by residents include:The prolonged duration taken to address and resolve complaintsDisrespectful behavior, insufficient communication, and inaccurate information during previous complaints processesAbsence of consequences for landlords who fail to take residents seriously or do not resolve complaints satisfactorilyThe cumbersome and complicated nature of the complaints process.

Social housing campaigner Kwajo Tweneboa said:

"What we’ve learnt is that social housing in the UK is far from where it should be, and tenants have been monumentally let down whilst enduring terrible living conditions."

"It’s clear things must change, this campaign is the start of that. The campaign makes clear that disrepair issues from damp and mould to collapsed ceilings must be fixed. Tenants have a right to complain and be listened to, treated with dignity, fairness and respect but most of all live in a house they can call a home."

Data from the English Housing Survey reveals that nearly one-third of all social renters considered filing a complaint in 2020-21. However, 27% of them decided against doing so as they believed their grievances would not be addressed.

Starting October, it has become faster and simpler for residents to submit complaints directly to the Housing Ombudsman. This comes after the government eliminated the requirement for individuals to approach their local MP or council first and wait for eight weeks after completing the landlord's complaint process.

The government remains committed to protecting social housing tenants by taking decisive measures. The groundbreaking Social Housing (Regulation) Bill aims to strengthen the Regulator's powers by granting it access to properties with only 48 hours' notice, performing emergency repairs with landlords bearing the cost, and imposing unlimited fines on non-compliant landlords.

Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said:

"Effective complaint handling starts with landlords getting things right first time. If and when things do go wrong, landlords must fix the issue, apologise, offer appropriate compensation, and show they have learnt from those errors."

"If that doesn’t happen then residents can take their complaint to us at the Housing Ombudsman. We’re free, independent and impartial in order to help residents and landlords find a resolution to their complaint."

The new campaign will be rolled out across England, providing social housing tenants with vital information about their rights, landlord responsibilities, and step-by-step guidance on how to file a complaint through the dedicated website gov.uk/socialhousingcomplaints. The campaign will run from today until the end of April.

The previous government social housing campaign, which took place from February to March 2022, resulted in a 25% increase in inquiries to the Housing Ombudsman compared to the previous two months.

Radio advertisements will air on commercial and community radio stations, including Capital, Gold, Heart, Hits Radio, Kiss, Magic, Smooth, and more. The adverts will also be broadcasted in Arabic, Polish, Romanian, Urdu, Punjabi, and Bengali.

Ads will also be featured on audio streaming platforms such as Spotify, Amazon Music, and SoundCloud, as well as on podcasts across these platforms. Social media advertisements, in the form of images and animations, will target social housing residents on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and NextDoor.

Landlords and partners, such as Citizens Advice, charities, and community groups, will have access to communication toolkits containing printable posters, leaflets, and social media posts.

The campaign website, offering advice on how to file a complaint, will be promoted on online search platforms such as Google and Bing.