Independent · not part of South Derbyshire District Council
South Derbyshire District Council complaints, compensation and disrepair claims
Your options if South Derbyshire 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: South Derbyshire District Council repairs
LandlordSouth Derbyshire District Council
Has South Derbyshire District Council been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet South Derbyshire’s repair contactsFree to check · About 2 minutes
You can complain to South Derbyshire District Council, then the Housing Ombudsman, yourself for free.
Complaint or claim?
Your options if South Derbyshire District Council hasn’t fixed it
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with South Derbyshire 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. South Derbyshire’s own target for a routine repair is 20 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 South Derbyshire 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 South Derbyshire 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 South Derbyshire District Council
South Derbyshire 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 reply within 10 working days of that (the Code’s limits).
- 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 onlinemake-a-complaint.southderbyshire.gov.uk
Complained and still waiting? You can start a claim while your complaint is going on.
Start your claimSouth Derbyshire’s record
What the regulator and Ombudsman found
Aug 2024: After the council referred itself, the regulator found serious failings: fewer than half of homes needing a fire risk assessment had one, missing electrical safety checks, no up-to-date stock condition survey since 2018, and weak tenant engagement.
of South Derbyshire tenants were satisfied with how complaints were handled in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about South Derbyshire in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Sources: Regulator of Social Housing judgement, 9 August 2024; South Derbyshire tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25.
Complaints against South Derbyshire
What the Housing Ombudsman decided
Recent cases where the Housing Ombudsman found South Derbyshire District Council at fault over repairs, and the compensation it ordered. Every case is different.
- How it handled reports of leaks and the associated repairs. Read the decisionMaladministration
Source: Housing Ombudsman decisions.
Has South Derbyshire let you down too? You could claim compensation.
Start your claimQuestions
South Derbyshire District Council complaints and claims: questions
How do I complain to South Derbyshire District Council about repairs?
Online: make-a-complaint.southderbyshire.gov.uk. By email: customer.experience@southderbyshire.gov.uk. Say what the problem is, when you reported it, and what you want done.
How long does South Derbyshire District Council have to reply to a complaint?
Stage 1: acknowledged within 5 working days, with a reply within 10 working days of that. Stage 2: a reply within 20 working days.
Can I claim compensation from South Derbyshire 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 South Derbyshire for you.
Start your claimHas the Housing Ombudsman found South Derbyshire District Council at fault?
In 2024/25 the Ombudsman found maladministration in 80% of its findings about South Derbyshire. 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 South Derbyshire 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 South Derbyshire?
Other landlords in the Midlands
- Birmingham City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- City of Wolverhampton Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Nottingham City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Sandwell Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- South Kesteven District Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Stoke-on-Trent City Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Tamworth Borough Council complaints and claimsCouncil
- Trident Group complaints and claimsHousing association
Still waiting for South Derbyshire District Council to fix it?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.