Recommendation 36

We encourage all social housing providers and the Housing Ombudsman to adopt a co-ordinated strategy to increase awareness among tenants of the ombudsman. As part of that, providers should routinely send letters and leaflets specifically about how they can complain to the ombudsman, as well as including this information in all other correspondence. Every single piece of correspondence about a complaint that providers send to tenants should inform the latter of their right to complain to the ombudsman and how to go about it. This should also explain that if tenants take legal action they cannot also refer their case to the ombudsman. We also recommend that the Regulator of Social Housing, as part of its review of the consumer standards, introduce a requirement on housing providers to ensure tenants are aware of their right to take a complaint to the ombudsman.