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Housing complaints and comments

The importance of complaints

Housing Services are committed to serving the community in the most efficient and courteous way possible. We are constantly trying to improve our services and the way in which we deliver them. If there is any way in which you feel that we could improve things then we would like you to tell us.

Complaints are valuable because they provide a chance to put things right if there has been an error, and to make sure that the same mistake is not repeated in the future.

It is essential that staff deal with complaints positively. Housing Services are anxious to hear people's comments and committed to making full use of complaints information to contribute to continuous service improvement. Important information about areas for improvement can be obtained both from a single complaint and from patterns of complaints, highlighted by detailed monitoring.

How to make a comment or complaint

If you want to make a comment or complaint about the way a council service has been performed or the way you have been treated by the council, you can call into any council office and speak to any council officer about it. If you have a comment or complaint about Housing Services , please contact one of our staff. Our contact details can be found under Service standards.

The council has an official comments and complaints procedure called 'Tell Us':

  • You can ask any council officer for a leaflet about the procedure and the leaflet includes a form, for complaints and comments
  • Complaints don’t have to be made on the form; you can complain by telephone, by letter, in person, email Complaints@walsall.gov.uk or using our online form
  • The leaflet is available in other formats including large print, and on audio tape in Bengali, Gujerati, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and English

What will happen after I contact you?

We will look into the matter and give you a full reply as quickly as possible. For complaints, you should receive an acknowledgement within 5 working days and a full response within 15 working days.

If you are still not satisfied with the action the council takes you may complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Housing association tenants

If you are a housing association tenant and want to make a complaint or comment to your landlord, please contact your landlord direct in the first instance. Housing association contact details.

If you are not satisfied with their response, you should contact the Housing Ombudsman (external link).

Housing Ombudsman

The Housing Ombudsman Service deals with disputes between landlords and tenants in England. The service was established under the Housing Act 1996 with jurisdiction over more than 2,000 landlords. Under the Housing Act 1996, all housing associations (RSL’s) must belong to the service by law. This includes any landlord who has taken over the management of council housing, such as whg and WATMOS.

The Housing Ombudsman Service aim’s to provide a fair and effective way of dealing with complaints against member landlords from their tenants. The service, will try to remedy the situation by either asking the landlord to change their way of working or offering financial redress.

Visit the Housing Ombudsman website (external link) for further information or email them at ombudsman@ihos.org.uk

Tenants of privately rented accommodation

If you rent your home from a private landlord and have a dispute with him or her, you should contact them in the first instance.

If you are not satisfied with their response, you should contact our Housing Standards and Improvement Service for advice.

Homeowners

If you own your home and have a complaint about your mortgage lender, you should contact them direct in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with their reply, visit the Financial Services Authority website (external link) to find out how to make a complaint.

For general information on how mortgages are regulated and how complaints about mortgages can be made, please visit our mortgages page.

For help with making complaints and for general housing advice

Shelter provides general consumer advice to help with the most common enquires around the following areas

For advice, or assistance about any aspect of housing, the Citizens’ Advice Bureau offers free, confidential, impartial and independent advice. Advisors can help fill out forms, write letters negotiate with creditors and represent you at court or tribunal.

There are 15 bureaux in Walsall, located in the following areas:

  • Aldridge
  • Bilston
  • Birchills Community Association
  • Blakenall
  • Brownhills
  • Darlaston
  • Healthy Living Centre Yew Tree
  • Lime Street Centre. Chuckery
  • Palfrey Community Association
  • Pleck Community Association

For more information about the Citizen's Advice Bureau please use the links provided below: