Social Housing tenants urged to 'Make Things Right'

The government has launched a £2 million advertising campaign encouraging residents to report issues and make complaints in an attempt to improve social housing conditions.

The government says that residents should feel confident to challenge unacceptable conditions and notify their landlord when things go wrong. Tenants should be informed of their rights and know that they can escalate to the Housing Ombudsman if their concerns are not addressed.

Adverts will run across radio and social media.

Housing secretary Michael Gove said: “Social landlords who fail their residents time and time again must be held to account.   

“The continued success of our Make Things Right campaign gives residents a greater voice to bring about real change – making sure they know their rights to stand up to bad landlords and go to the Ombudsman when issues remain unresolved.  

“Our Social Housing Act is now law and Awaab’s Law remains a firm reminder of the importance for all tenants to have the right to live in safe and decent homes while being treated with fairness and respect.”

Social housing campaigner, Kwajo Tweneboa, said: “I have said from the very beginning, nobody should live in a home that’s falling apart or unsafe. If a landlord wouldn’t, neither should their tenants.

“Report to your landlord, complain to your landlord and if they still refuse to take action report them straight to the Housing Ombudsman.”

Richard Blakeway, housing ombudsman, said: “Effective complaint handling is vital to ensure issues are resolved at the earliest opportunity.

“A landlord’s complaint process should be accessible for any resident that wishes to make a complaint. The process gives landlords a fair opportunity to put things right for residents when things have gone wrong, whether that be through a repair, apology or offer of compensation.  

“If residents are still unhappy after the landlord’s final complaint response, they can bring 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.”

Image by Hans from Pixabay