Independent · not part of Waltham Forest Council
Waltham Forest Council complaints, compensation and disrepair claims
Your options if Waltham Forest Council 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: Waltham Forest Council repairs
LandlordWaltham Forest Council
Has Waltham Forest Council been told about the repair?
Yes, reported and still not fixedCheck if you can claim No, reporting it for the first timeGet Waltham Forest’s repair contactsFree to check · About 2 minutes
You can complain to Waltham Forest Council, then the Housing Ombudsman, yourself for free.
Complaint or claim?
Your options if Waltham Forest Council hasn’t fixed it
Claim compensation
Make a disrepair claim
A law firm on our panel takes it up with Waltham Forest 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. In its recent decisions about Waltham Forest, it ordered between £700 and £1,000 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. Waltham Forest’s own target for a routine repair is 28 calendar 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 Waltham Forest 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 Waltham Forest 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 Waltham Forest Council
Waltham Forest Council has to follow the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.
- Stage 1
Complain to the council
Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a written reply within 10 working days of the complaint being logged.
- Stage 2
Ask for a review
Acknowledged within 5 working days, with a reply within 20 working days of that.
- Then
Housing Ombudsman
Independent. It can order the council to put things right.
Complain onlineportal.walthamforest.gov.uk
By emailinformation.officer@walthamforest.gov.uk
By phone020 8496 3000
From walthamforest.gov.uk, checked 5 October 2026.
Complained and still waiting? You can start a claim while your complaint is going on.
Start your claimWaltham Forest’s record
What the regulator and Ombudsman found
Apr 2025: The regulator found weaknesses including a repairs service that was not always effective or timely, homes not all meeting the Decent Homes Standard, outstanding fire safety actions and electrical tests, and complaint handling changes not yet embedded.
of Waltham Forest tenants were satisfied with how complaints were handled in 2024/25.
of the Ombudsman’s findings about Waltham Forest in 2024/25 were maladministration.
Sources: Regulator of Social Housing judgement, 30 April 2025; Waltham Forest tenant satisfaction measures 2024/25; Housing Ombudsman landlord performance data 2024/25.
Complaints against Waltham Forest
What the Housing Ombudsman decided
Recent cases where the Housing Ombudsman found Waltham Forest Council at fault over repairs, and the compensation it ordered. Every case is different.
- How it handled reports of damp and mould in the property. Read the decisionSevere maladministration
£1,000 ordered - How it handled concerns regarding the condition of the windows. Read the decisionMaladministration
£700 ordered - How it handled a request for bathroom tiling. Read the decisionService failure
Source: Housing Ombudsman decisions.
Has Waltham Forest let you down too? You could claim compensation.
Start your claimQuestions
Waltham Forest Council complaints and claims: questions
How do I complain to Waltham Forest Council about repairs?
Online: portal.walthamforest.gov.uk. By email: information.officer@walthamforest.gov.uk. By phone: 020 8496 3000. Say what the problem is, when you reported it, and what you want done.
How long does Waltham Forest Council have to reply to a complaint?
Stage 1: acknowledged within 5 working days, with a written reply within 10 working days of the complaint being logged. Stage 2: acknowledged within 5 working days, with a reply within 20 working days of that.
Can I claim compensation from Waltham Forest 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 Waltham Forest for you.
Start your claimHas the Housing Ombudsman found Waltham Forest Council at fault?
In 2024/25 the Ombudsman found maladministration in 73% of its findings about Waltham Forest. 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 Waltham Forest 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 Waltham Forest?
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Still waiting for Waltham Forest Council to fix it?
About 2 minutes. No documents. Free to check.