Independent · not part of Cornwall Council
Cornwall Council complaints, compensation and disrepair claims
Your options if Cornwall 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: Cornwall Council repairs
LandlordCornwall Council
Has Cornwall Council been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet Cornwall’s repair contactsFree to check · About 2 minutes
You can complain to Cornwall Council, then the Housing Ombudsman, yourself for free.
Complaint or claim?
Your options if Cornwall Council hasn’t fixed it
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with Cornwall 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 Cornwall, it ordered between £150 and £3,300 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. Cornwall’s own target for a routine repair is 28 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 Cornwall 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 Cornwall 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 Cornwall Council
Cornwall Council has to follow the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.
- Stage 1
Complain to the council
Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a written reply within 10 working days of that.
- Stage 2
Ask for a review
Reviewed by a senior manager: 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 onlinecornwallhousing.org.uk
By emailcornwallhousingcomplaints@cornwallhousing.org.uk
By phone0300 123 4161
From cornwallhousing.org.uk, checked 5 October 2026.
Complained and still waiting? You can start a claim while your complaint is going on.
Start your claimCornwall’s record
What the regulator and Ombudsman found
Sep 2026: The regulator found some weaknesses: the repairs service is being restructured after a long period of poor performance, and tenants get limited information on performance, anti-social behaviour and complaints.
of Cornwall tenants were satisfied with how complaints were handled in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about Cornwall in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Sources: Regulator of Social Housing judgement, 30 September 2026; Cornwall tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25.
Complaints against Cornwall
What the Housing Ombudsman decided
Recent cases where the Housing Ombudsman found Cornwall Council at fault over repairs, and the compensation it ordered. Every case is different.
- How it handled a report of a leak. Read the decisionMaladministration
£150 ordered - How it handled concerns about major building works and repairs, including the installation of aids and adaptations. Read the decisionMaladministration
£1,500 ordered - How it handled concerns about damp and mould in the property. Read the decisionSevere maladministration
£3,300 ordered
Source: Housing Ombudsman decisions.
Has Cornwall let you down too? You could claim compensation.
Start your claimQuestions
Cornwall Council complaints and claims: questions
How do I complain to Cornwall Council about repairs?
Online: cornwallhousing.org.uk. By email: cornwallhousingcomplaints@cornwallhousing.org.uk. By phone: 0300 123 4161. Say what the problem is, when you reported it, and what you want done.
How long does Cornwall Council have to reply to a complaint?
Stage 1: acknowledged within 5 working days, with a written reply within 10 working days of that. Stage 2: reviewed by a senior manager: acknowledged within 5 working days, with a reply within 20 working days of that.
Can I claim compensation from Cornwall 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 Cornwall for you.
Start your claimHas the Housing Ombudsman found Cornwall Council at fault?
In 2024/25 the Ombudsman found maladministration in 67% of its findings about Cornwall. 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 Cornwall 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 Cornwall?
Other landlords in the South of England
- Brighton & Hove City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Bristol City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Cottsway Housing complaints and claimsHousing association
- Crawley Borough Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Cross Keys Homes complaints and claimsHousing association
- Curo complaints and claimsHousing association
- Norwich City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Portsmouth City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
Still waiting for Cornwall Council to fix it?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.