Independent · not part of Reading Borough Council
Reading Borough Council complaints, compensation and disrepair claims
Your options if Reading Borough Council hasn’t fixed a repair: claiming compensation, complaining, and what the Housing Ombudsman has found.
By Ben Miller, housing disrepair specialistChecked 7 October 2026 · How we checkRepairs and phone numbers: Reading Borough Council repairs
LandlordReading Borough Council
Has Reading Borough Council been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet Reading’s repair contactsFree to check · About 2 minutes
You can complain to Reading Borough Council, then the Housing Ombudsman, yourself for free.
Complaint or claim?
Your options if Reading Borough Council hasn’t fixed it
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with Reading 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. Reading’s own target for a routine repair is 15 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 Reading Borough 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 Reading Borough 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 Reading Borough Council
Reading Borough 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 of the acknowledgement.
- Stage 2
Ask for a review
Ask within 28 days of the stage 1 reply. Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a written decision from a director within 20 working days of the acknowledgement.
- Then
Housing Ombudsman
Independent. It can order the council to put things right.
Complain onlinemyaccount.reading.gov.uk
By emailcustomer.relations@reading.gov.uk
By phone0118 937 3787
From reading.gov.uk, checked 7 October 2026.
Complained and still waiting? You can start a claim while your complaint is going on.
Start your claimReading’s record
What the regulator and Ombudsman found
Apr 2025: The regulator found serious failings, including about 1,600 overdue repairs, missed repair targets, poor complaint handling and delays with fire safety actions.
of Reading tenants were satisfied with how complaints were handled in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about Reading in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Sources: Regulator of Social Housing judgement, 30 April 2025; Reading tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25.
Questions
Reading Borough Council complaints and claims: questions
How do I complain to Reading Borough Council about repairs?
Online: myaccount.reading.gov.uk. By email: customer.relations@reading.gov.uk. By phone: 0118 937 3787. Say what the problem is, when you reported it, and what you want done.
How long does Reading Borough Council have to reply to a complaint?
Stage 1: acknowledged within 5 working days, with a reply within 10 working days of the acknowledgement. Stage 2: ask within 28 days of the stage 1 reply. Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a written decision from a director within 20 working days of the acknowledgement.
Can I claim compensation from Reading Borough 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 Reading for you.
Start your claimHas the Housing Ombudsman found Reading Borough Council at fault?
In 2024/25 the Ombudsman found maladministration in 100% of its findings about Reading.
Why use Report Repair?
A law firm on our panel takes your claim up with Reading Borough 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 Reading?
Other landlords in the South of England
- Brighton & Hove City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Bristol City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Norwich City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Portsmouth City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Red Kite Community Housing complaints and claimsHousing association
- Saffron Housing complaints and claimsHousing association
- Saxon Weald complaints and claimsHousing association
- Selwood Housing complaints and claimsHousing association
Still waiting for Reading Borough Council to fix it?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.