Our reports
Find all the latest reports from the Housing Ombudsman. View our Spotlight reports on thematic issues, Complaint Handling Failure Orders or quarterly Insight reports.
Latest reports published
Learning from severe maladministration – May 2024
21 May 2024
We have published our second 'learning from severe maladministration report' which highlights cases involving 12 landlords.
This report focuses on knowledge and information management, marking a year since we published a Spotlight report on the theme.
This report shows how good knowledge and information management can be the foundation of a positive and effective complaint handling response and service delivery.
Sanctuary Housing independent review report
16 May 2024
Sanctuary has undertaken a review of nearly 4,000 homes following a wider order from the Housing Ombudsman.
The order for an independent review of policy and practice was made after the Ombudsman made 2 severe maladministration findings for similar issues handling leaks, damp and mould.
Southern Housing special investigation report
14 May 2024
We have released our special investigation report into Southern Housing, finding a “lack of ownership within the landlord’s complaint-handling culture”. The report says the landlord’s approach during the merger did not “extend sufficiently to complaints handling and achieving a positive complaint handling culture”.
In this report, we issued determinations on 77 cases, making 184 findings with a maladministration rate of 79%. Regarding complaint handling, the maladministration rate was 92%. The report covers events occurring between October 2018 and September 2023, with 14 complaints involving events post-merger.
Orbit Group independent review report
25 April 2024
After issuing 7 severe maladministration findings, we ordered Orbit Group to undertake an independent review into the main issues.
This independent review is one of the first uses of new powers given to us as part of the Social Housing Regulation Act to order wider reviews into a landlords policy, practice and root causes of complaints.
The report includes 15 recommendations made to tackle damp and mould failings.
Follow up report: Spotlight on noise complaints – Time to be Heard
16 April 2024
This follow-up report summarises our evaluation of our Spotlight on noise complaints, Time to be Heard, which we published in October 2022.
We contacted landlords who had attended our initial webinar and all landlords who had featured in the report.
We also contacted an additional 5 landlords who had not featured in the report but have had an increase in their maladministration rate regarding noise or Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB) complaints. All five of these landlords responded.
More reports
Spotlight reports
Our Spotlight reports concentrate on an area of service provision that we see high amount of failure in through our casework. They examine the issues within this theme and set out recommendations.
Special investigation reports
Our special reports follow an investigation carried out under paragraph 49 of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, which allows the Ombudsman to conduct further investigations beyond an individual complaint to establish whether any presenting evidence is indicative of a systemic failing.
Complaint Handling Failure Order (CHFO) reports
Complaint Handling Failure Orders are issued in relation to failings in an individual case where we have taken reasonable steps to seek engagement from a landlord, but the resident remains unable to progress a complaint.
We use our orders, along with other information from cases handled, to generate insight about individual landlords. This can be used as the basis of discussions if there are continued concerns over a sustained period.
Insight reports
Our Insight reports provide insight into our complaints data, a selection of valuable case studies and key learning points and recommendations for the sector.
Their aim is to help landlords to make improvements and deliver better services for residents.
The Hosuing Ombudsman publishes Insight reports every 3 months.
Learning from severe maladministration
We have produced a new report that looks at recent severe maladministration findings. The report groups together several cases, potentially involving different landlords, to examine related themes and lessons, including where vital opportunities were missed to improve outcomes for residents.
Wider orders
We have gained new powers to issue wider orders under the Social Housing Regulation Act, allowing us to not only address individual complaints from a landlord, but also extend fairness and protection to wider residents.
Landlord performance data
Landlord performance data
Our 2022-23 individual landlord performance reports have been published for landlords with 5 or more cases determined between 1 April 2022 and March 2023.
Annual Complaints Review
Last year the Ombudsman received over 5,000 complaints that were escalated for formal investigation. Following the investigations, we made 6,590 orders and recommendations to make things right for residents.
Landlord complaint statistics
Every quarter we publish landlord statistics giving a snapshot of what we're seeing in complaints.