Independent · not part of Housing 21
Housing 21 complaints, compensation and disrepair claims
Your options if Housing 21 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: Housing 21 repairs
LandlordHousing 21
Has Housing 21 been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet Housing 21’s repair contactsFree to check · About 2 minutes
You can complain to Housing 21, then the Housing Ombudsman, yourself for free.
Complaint or claim?
Your options if Housing 21 hasn’t fixed it
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with Housing 21 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 Housing 21
This can get Housing 21 to look at the repair again. If you’re still unhappy, the Housing Ombudsman can order Housing 21 to put things right. In its recent decisions about Housing 21, it ordered £400 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. Housing 21’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 Housing 21
- 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 Housing 21 asking for the repairs and compensation. Under the court rules for housing conditions claims, Housing 21 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 Housing 21
Housing 21 has to follow the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.
- Stage 1
Complain to Housing 21
Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a reply within 10 working days of that.
- Stage 2
Ask for a review
Acknowledged by the complaints team within 5 working days, with a reply within 20 working days of that.
- Then
Housing Ombudsman
Independent. It can order Housing 21 to put things right.
From housing21.org.uk, checked 5 October 2026.
Complained and still waiting? You can start a claim while your complaint is going on.
Start your claimHousing 21’s record
What the regulator and Ombudsman found
May 2026: The regulator upgraded Housing 21 from C2 after it strengthened its oversight of health and safety and repairs, used complaints to improve services, and shared more performance information with tenants.
of Housing 21 tenants were satisfied with how complaints were handled in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about Housing 21 in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Sources: Regulator of Social Housing judgement, 13 May 2026; Housing 21 tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25.
Complaints against Housing 21
What the Housing Ombudsman decided
Recent cases where the Housing Ombudsman found Housing 21 at fault over repairs, and the compensation it ordered. Every case is different.
- How it handled concerns about the heating system and the resident’s property temperature. Read the decisionService failure
£400 ordered
Source: Housing Ombudsman decisions.
Has Housing 21 let you down too? You could claim compensation.
Start your claimQuestions
Housing 21 complaints and claims: questions
How do I complain to Housing 21 about repairs?
Through its complaints page: housing21.org.uk. By email: feedback@housing21.org.uk. By phone: 0303 123 1622. Say what the problem is, when you reported it, and what you want done.
How long does Housing 21 have to reply to a complaint?
Stage 1: acknowledged within 5 working days, with a reply within 10 working days of that. Stage 2: acknowledged by the complaints team within 5 working days, with a reply within 20 working days of that.
Can I claim compensation from Housing 21 for damp and mould?
You could, if you reported it and Housing 21 didn’t fix it in a reasonable time. A law firm on our panel can take it up with Housing 21 for you.
Start your claimHas the Housing Ombudsman found Housing 21 at fault?
In 2024/25 the Ombudsman found maladministration in 23% of its findings about Housing 21. 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 Housing 21: it asks for the repairs to be done and claims compensation for you, so you don’t have to deal with Housing 21 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 Housing 21?
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Still waiting for Housing 21 to fix it?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.