What the Housing Ombudsman’s 2024–25 Complaints Review Tells Us

The Housing Ombudsman has released its Annual Complaints Review for 2024–25, covering cases from April 2024 to March 2025. The big picture is clear: complaints are still rising, uphold rates remain high, but there are encouraging signs of progress in how landlords are handling issues. 

The Ombudsman made over 7,000 decisions this year, a 30% increase compared to the previous period. Around 71% of those complaints were upheld. That is slightly down on last year but still represents most cases going against landlords. Repairs dominate the picture, with complaints about repairs up by 43%. Damp, mould, leaks, and heating failures are the most common causes, and almost half of all high-risk cases relate to repair issues. This highlights the ongoing challenge of keeping homes safe, warm, and dry. 

There is, however, some good news. Complaint handling itself is improving. The proportion of complaint-handling disputes being upheld fell from 84% to 77%, and the number of severe maladministration findings halved. This suggests that when landlords are listening, responding in plain English, and putting things right quickly, it makes a real difference. The Ombudsman also noted that the total amount of compensation awarded or recommended fell on a per case basis, with the average dropping to £947. That is partly because landlords are starting to resolve issues earlier, with apologies and practical remedies alongside payments. Even so, compensation remains a significant factor, with more than £5 million ordered or recommended in total, and over 40% of that linked to damp and mould. 

The review also highlights where performance is uneven. Local authorities, in particular, struggle with timeliness and complaint handling. Many landlords still have remarkably high uphold rates, though some are showing real improvement. With Awaab’s Law due to take effect on 27th October 2025, setting strict deadlines for tackling damp, mould, and emergency repairs, the pressure to improve will only grow. 

To find out more about how your requirements under Awaab's Law, head over to our dedicated blog, 'Awaab's Law: What to expect', here.

So, what should landlords do differently? 

• Firstly, you need to prepare now for Awaab’s Law by building clear processes for triaging and resolving the most serious repair issues.
• Secondly, you should strengthen the entire repairs journey, from diagnosis through to contractor oversight, to avoid long-running cases that risk escalation.
• Thirdly, embedding the Complaint Handling Code in day-to-day practice is critical. That means timely stage one responses, empathetic communication, and combining apologies with specific, practical actions as the default way of resolving issues.
• Good record keeping and information sharing is also vital. Too many severe maladministration findings come down to residents having to repeat their story over and over again, or key information not being available because systems do not hold a clear record.
• Finally, your boards should be monitoring trends in uphold rates, complaint handling failures, and compensation closely as well as undertaking and implementing learning from complaints. It is not enough to fix individual cases; the test is whether lessons learnt translate into fewer complaints over time. 

The lesson from this year’s review is simple: complaints are not just problems to be managed; they are insights into what residents need. If landlords treat them as a form of free consultancy and an opportunity for improvement, they will end up with better homes, fewer escalations, and stronger trust with residents.  

Looking for support preparing for Awaab's Law? Get in touch with our team of experts who will help you navigate the changes.