Independent · not part of Barnsley Council
Barnsley Council complaints, compensation and disrepair claims
Your options if Barnsley Council hasn’t fixed a repair: claiming compensation, complaining, and what the Housing Ombudsman has found.
By Ben Miller, housing disrepair specialistChecked 5 October 2026 · How we checkRepairs and phone numbers: Barnsley Council repairs
LandlordBarnsley Council
Has Barnsley Council been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet Barnsley’s repair contactsFree to check · About 2 minutes
You can complain to Barnsley Council, then the Housing Ombudsman, yourself for free.
Complaint or claim?
Your options if Barnsley Council hasn’t fixed it
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with Barnsley for you. It asks for the repairs to be done and claims compensation, usually worked out as a share of the rent you paid while the problem wasn’t fixed.
Start your claim Free to check, and we don’t charge you. If a solicitor takes your claim on, they work on a no win, no fee basis and must explain their fee in writing before you agree to anything. See feesComplain
Complain to the council
This can get the council to look at the repair again. If you’re still unhappy, the Housing Ombudsman can order the council to put things right. In its recent decisions about Barnsley, it ordered between £400 and £1,500 in compensation.
How to complainYou can do both: a complaint can carry on while a law firm makes your claim.
Compensation
How disrepair compensation is worked out
Courts usually award a share of the rent you paid while the problem wasn’t fixed. Three things decide how much. Barnsley’s own target for a routine repair is 25 working days, so a repair left longer than that is already late by its own standard.
- 01
How long
From when your landlord knew about it to when it was fixed, or today.
- 02
How much of your home
One room, or the whole home.
- 03
How badly
How much it affected your daily life and your belongings.
Making a claim
Claiming against Barnsley Council
- 01You tell us what’s wrong and when you reported it. About 2 minutes.
- 02We introduce you to a law firm on our panel, with your permission.
- 03They write to Barnsley Council asking for the repairs and compensation. Under the court rules for housing conditions claims, the council should reply within 20 working days.
- 04If your claim succeeds, the work is done and compensation is paid to you.
Free to check, and we don’t charge you. If a solicitor takes your claim on, they work on a no win, no fee basis and must explain their fee in writing before you agree to anything. See fees
How to complain
Complaining to Barnsley Council
Barnsley Council has to follow the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.
- Stage 1
Complain to the council
Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a reply within 10 working days.
- Stage 2
Ask for a review
Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a reply within 20 working days of that.
- Then
Housing Ombudsman
Independent. It can order the council to put things right.
Complain onlineforms.berneslaihomes.co.uk
By emailcustomerservices@berneslaihomes.co.uk
By phone01226 787878
From berneslaihomes.co.uk, checked 5 October 2026.
Complained and still waiting? You can start a claim while your complaint is going on.
Start your claimBarnsley’s record
What the regulator and Ombudsman found
Oct 2024: The regulator found the council meets the consumer standards, with good safety systems, an effective and timely repairs service, and fair, prompt complaint handling.
of Barnsley tenants were satisfied with how complaints were handled in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about Barnsley in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Sources: Regulator of Social Housing judgement, 30 October 2024; Barnsley tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25.
Complaints against Barnsley
What the Housing Ombudsman decided
Recent cases where the Housing Ombudsman found Barnsley Council at fault over repairs, and the compensation it ordered. Every case is different.
- How it handled reports of damp and mould in the property. Read the decisionSevere maladministration
£1,500 ordered - How it handled reports of damp and mould. Read the decisionMaladministration
£400 ordered - How it handled damp and mould repairs. Read the decisionMaladministration
£600 ordered
Source: Housing Ombudsman decisions.
Has Barnsley let you down too? You could claim compensation.
Start your claimQuestions
Barnsley Council complaints and claims: questions
How do I complain to Barnsley Council about repairs?
Online: forms.berneslaihomes.co.uk. By email: customerservices@berneslaihomes.co.uk. By phone: 01226 787878. Say what the problem is, when you reported it, and what you want done.
How long does Barnsley Council have to reply to a complaint?
Stage 1: acknowledged within 5 working days, with a reply within 10 working days. Stage 2: acknowledged within 5 working days, with a reply within 20 working days of that.
Can I claim compensation from Barnsley Council for damp and mould?
You could, if you reported it and the council didn’t fix it in a reasonable time. A law firm on our panel can take it up with Barnsley for you.
Start your claimHas the Housing Ombudsman found Barnsley Council at fault?
In 2024/25 the Ombudsman found maladministration in 60% of its findings about Barnsley. Recent decisions about its repairs are listed above, with the compensation ordered.
Why use Report Repair?
A law firm on our panel takes your claim up with Barnsley Council: it asks for the repairs to be done and claims compensation for you, so you don’t have to deal with the council on your own. It’s free to check, and if your claim succeeds the law firm’s fee comes out of your compensation.
See feesNot Barnsley?
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Still waiting for Barnsley Council to fix it?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.