Independent · not part of Lewes District Council
Lewes District Council complaints, compensation and disrepair claims
Your options if Lewes 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: Lewes District Council repairs
LandlordLewes District Council
Has Lewes District Council been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet Lewes’s repair contactsFree to check · About 2 minutes
You can complain to Lewes District Council, then the Housing Ombudsman, yourself for free.
Complaint or claim?
Your options if Lewes District Council hasn’t fixed it
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with Lewes 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. Lewes’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 Lewes 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 Lewes 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 Lewes District Council
Lewes District Council has to follow the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.
- Stage 1
Complain to the council
Formal stage 1 investigations can take up to 10 working days.
- Stage 2
Ask for a review
If you’re not happy, a reply within 20 working days (the Code’s limit).
- Then
Housing Ombudsman
Independent. It can order the council to put things right.
Complain onlinelewes-eastbourne.gov.uk
From lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk, checked 9 October 2026.
Complained and still waiting? You can start a claim while your complaint is going on.
Start your claimLewes’s record
What the regulator and Ombudsman found
Oct 2025: The regulator found some weaknesses, including a backlog of overdue repairs, weak oversight of safety follow-up work, and up-to-date condition information for only 77% of homes.
of Lewes tenants were satisfied with how complaints were handled in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about Lewes in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Sources: Regulator of Social Housing judgement, 15 October 2025; Lewes tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25.
Questions
Lewes District Council complaints and claims: questions
How do I complain to Lewes District Council about repairs?
Online: lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk. Say what the problem is, when you reported it, and what you want done.
How long does Lewes District Council have to reply to a complaint?
Stage 1: formal stage 1 investigations can take up to 10 working days. Stage 2: a reply within 20 working days.
Can I claim compensation from Lewes 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 Lewes for you.
Start your claimHas the Housing Ombudsman found Lewes District Council at fault?
In 2024/25 the Ombudsman found maladministration in 88% of its findings about Lewes.
Why use Report Repair?
A law firm on our panel takes your claim up with Lewes 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 Lewes?
Other landlords in the South of England
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- Magna Housing complaints and claimsHousing association
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Still waiting for Lewes District Council to fix it?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.