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Welcome to the August newsletter
Catch up on all the latest news from the Housing Ombudsman Service.
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Interim Ombudsman appointed
The Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government has appointed current Chief Operating Officer, Andrea Keenoy, as interim Housing Ombudsman from 1 August.
Following a recent campaign for the next Housing Ombudsman, the minister has decided not to make an appointment at this time. The government will confirm next steps for the role in due course.
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Revised Scheme and consultation response published ahead of STAIRs
We've published our response to the Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs) consultation which ran from January to March 2026. We received 296 responses from across the housing sector.
From 1 October 2026, under new Government legislation, Private Registered Providers (PRPs) must proactively publish information about their organisation, finances, homes, performance and services. With tenants gaining the right to make direct information requests from 1 April 2027.
As the official complaints body for STAIRs, we've updated our Scheme accordingly to include information about STAIRs. This will replace the current Scheme from 1 October 2026. We'll handle these cases through a new, separate process, with tenants able to complain to us within 3 months of a PRP's response (or non-response) after first raising an information request themselves.
Ahead of October, we'll be publishing supporting resources and learning materials for both tenants and PRPs via the Centre for Learning.
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Complaint Handling report identifies lessons from our duty to monitor
We've published our first report on compliance with the Complaint Handling Code, tracking the shift from a pre-Code "postcode lottery" to firmer timescales and more ethical complaint handling.
Drawing on 2 years of annual submissions, the report shares key learning for landlords, alongside positive examples of resident engagement. It also highlights common weaknesses found in complaint policy reviews, including how complaints are defined, extended, escalated and excluded, with practical learning to help landlords improve.
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Key topics pages
Explore the range of information available on the key topics we see in our casework. Find out more about the key issues we investigate, including guidance, reports, and training for landlords.
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Resident support guides
These support guides explain how residents can report issues to their landlord, when to make a complaint, and when we can help. They also provide general information about complaint topics we investigate.
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 Podcasts
Root cause analysis with Abri Group
In this episode, Abri Group shares how it uses root cause analysis (RCA) to identify underlying issues, improve services and create lasting organisational learning.
Hear from Tadana Chisenga and Trish Harrington as they discuss Abri’s approach to RCA, the impact of its dedicated RCA team, and practical examples of turning complaint insights into meaningful change. You’ll also gain useful tips and advice for introducing RCA within your own organisation.
Demystifying membership
In this episode, you'll hear from colleagues in our Membership and Duty to Monitor teams. They share what landlords need to know about being a member of the Scheme and staying compliant with the Code.
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About the Housing Ombudsman Service
We are a free and impartial dispute resolution service. We investigate complaints from residents and leaseholders of member landlords (housing associations and local authorities) and voluntary members (private landlords and letting agents).
Our vision is to improve residents’ lives and landlords’ services through housing complaints.
Residents | Landlords | Contact us
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