Independent · not part of Dover District Council
Dover District Council complaints, compensation and disrepair claims
Your options if Dover District Council hasn’t fixed a repair: claiming compensation, complaining, and what the Housing Ombudsman has found.
By Ben Miller, housing disrepair specialistChecked 9 October 2026 · How we checkRepairs and phone numbers: Dover District Council repairs
LandlordDover District Council
Has Dover District Council been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet Dover’s repair contactsFree to check · About 2 minutes
You can complain to Dover District Council, then the Housing Ombudsman, yourself for free.
Complaint or claim?
Your options if Dover District Council hasn’t fixed it
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with Dover 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.
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. Dover’s own target for a routine repair is 16 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 Dover District 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 Dover District 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 Dover District Council
Dover District Council has to follow the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.
- Stage 1
Complain to the council
Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a full written reply within 10 working days.
- Stage 2
Ask for a review
Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a final reply within 20 working days of that.
- Then
Housing Ombudsman
Independent. It can order the council to put things right.
Complain onlineforms.dover.gov.uk
From dover.gov.uk, checked 9 October 2026.
Complained and still waiting? You can start a claim while your complaint is going on.
Start your claimDover’s record
What the regulator and Ombudsman found
Jul 2026: The regulator found some weaknesses in complaint handling, tenant engagement, performance information and how anti-social behaviour is recorded, but found the council met the safety and quality standard.
of Dover tenants were satisfied with how complaints were handled in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about Dover in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Sources: Regulator of Social Housing judgement, 8 July 2026; Dover tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25.
Questions
Dover District Council complaints and claims: questions
How do I complain to Dover District Council about repairs?
Online: forms.dover.gov.uk. Say what the problem is, when you reported it, and what you want done.
How long does Dover District Council have to reply to a complaint?
Stage 1: acknowledged within 5 working days, with a full written reply within 10 working days. Stage 2: acknowledged within 5 working days, with a final reply within 20 working days of that.
Can I claim compensation from Dover District 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 Dover for you.
Start your claimHas the Housing Ombudsman found Dover District Council at fault?
In 2024/25 the Ombudsman found maladministration in 60% of its findings about Dover.
Why use Report Repair?
A law firm on our panel takes your claim up with Dover District 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 Dover?
Other landlords in the South of England
- Brighton & Hove City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Bristol City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- East Devon District Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Eastbourne Borough Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Eastlight Community Homes complaints and claimsHousing association
- Epping Forest District Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Norwich City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Portsmouth City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
Still waiting for Dover District Council to fix it?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.