How to complain about a housing association

If a housing association has done something wrong, you have the right to make a complaint. If you're unhappy with their response, you can complain to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

When to complain

You can make a complaint about issues such as:

unfair treatment or discrimination when dealing with a housing association
problems with your home if you rent from the housing association, such as repairs not being done
problems caused by housing association tenants

You do not have to be a housing association tenant to complain.

Step 1: contact the housing association informally

You can try talking to someone at the housing association. Explain what the problem is and how it's affecting you.

Keep a record of who you spoke to and when. Get them to write down any agreements you come to.

Step 2: send a formal complaint

Email or write the the housing association. Find your housing association's contact details on the Scottish Housing Regulator.

Keep copies of any letters or emails you send.

In your letter or email, include:

what you're complaining about
when the problem started
what you've done to try and solve the problem
any evidence you've got, including letters or emails you've sent previously
what you want the housing association to do
your contact details

The housing association must respond within 5 working days.

Complaining about repair problems

Use our letter templates to complain about repairs. Copy and paste the sample text and personalise it with your details. Delete any parts that do not apply to you.

Attach any evidence you have, such as copies of previous letters you've sent or photos of the repair problems.

Letter template: complain about repairs to the council or housing association

Subject: Complaint about repairs at <your address>

To <council or housing association>

I contacted you on <date> to ask for repair work at <your address>. The repairs needed are <describe the repairs>.

I am making a complaint because <example: the repairs have not been done / the repairs were done badly / the repair work damaged my other belongings >.

I'm concerned because <example: it's causing damage to my home / affecting my health / making my home unsafe>.

I have provided the following evidence:
<list the evidence you have given>

I ask that you <what you want them to do> within <number of days>.

Please respond in writing within 5 working days and tell me what you'll do to fix the problem.

Thank you,

You can also send the letter as an email attachment or through the post:

Letter template: complain about repair work done badly

Subject: Repairs not done properly at <your address>

To <your landlord's name>

I am writing to report a problem with the repair work that was carried out on <date repairs were done> at <your address>.

When the repairs were carried out <example: the work was not finished / the problem was not fixed / the work caused damage to my belongings>.

I have checked my rights on Shelter Scotland’s website, and you are responsible for making sure repairs are done properly.

I ask that you <example: arrange for the repairs to be completed / redo the work / compensate me for the damage to my belongings>.

Please contact me within 5 working days to confirm how the problem will be resolved.

Thank you,

You can also send the letter as an email attachment or through the post:

Word template: report repairs done badly (docx ,16 kb)
OpenDocument template: report repairs done badly (odt, 8 kb)

Step 3: ask for a final response

If the problem is not resolved, ask the housing association to look at your complaint again and send a final response. This is sometimes called a stage 2 complaint.

They must do this within 20 working days.

Step 4: if you're unhappy with the final response

You can complain to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman.

The ombudsman is a free independent service that resolves disputes and complaints. You must complain to them within a year of the problem starting.

Making a group complaint about serious concerns

You can make a group complaint to the Scottish Housing Regulator if:

the problem affects a group of tenants who rent from the same housing association
complaining individually has not solved the problem
you have serious concerns about your housing association

For example, it could be a serious concern if they've repeatedly failed to:

do repairs or safety checks
respond to complaints
consult with tenants about rent increases

Check the Scottish Housing Regulator's guidance on group complaints about serious concerns.

If you need more help to solve the problem

You can get advice from:

An adviser or solicitor could help you work out your next steps.

Last updated: 2 September 2024