We are committed to providing safe homes and high quality services to our tenants and residents. We recognise that sometimes things go wrong. If something has gone wrong, we want to hear from you so that we can put things right and learn from your experience.
It is okay to complain. We will treat your complaint fairly, respectfully and objectively.
What is a complaint?
A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the council, its staff or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual resident or a group of residents.
View our housing complaints policy
How to complain
A housing complaint can be made in the following ways:
- online - visit our complaints page
- by telephone on 0300 131 2 131 - please say 'tenant complaint' when prompted
- in writing:
Council Housing Complaints
North Yorkshire Council
County Hall
Northallerton
North Yorkshire
DL7 8AD - in person to a member of the housing team, or with your permission through a third party/representative
You do not need to use the word 'complaint' for us to treat your feedback as a complaint.
What you can expect
Acknowledgement
We will acknowledge your complaint on or within five working days of receiving it.
We will provide:
- a complaint reference number
- confirmation of the issues being investigated
- details of the next steps and expected timescales
Stage one complaint
A manager will investigate your complaint and provide a written response on or within 10 workings days of acknowledgement.
Our response will:
- address all complaint issues raised
- explain our findings
- explain any action we will take
- identify any learning as a result of the complaint
- confirm how you can progress it to Stage two if you are still not happy
If we need more time due to the complex nature of the complaint, we will explain why and agree an updated timescale with you.
Stage two complaint review
If you remain unhappy after receiving a Stage one response, you may request a Stage two review:
- your complaint will be reviewed by a senior officer who has not been involved in the Stage one investigation
- we will acknowledge your Stage two request on or within five working days and provide a written response within 20 working days
The Stage two response represents our final response.
Outcomes
Where we identify service failure, we may:
- apologise
- explain what went wrong
- put the problem right
- take corrective action
- make service improvements
- offer compensation where appropriate and in line with council policy
Learning from complaints
We value complaints as an important source of feedback.
Information from complaints helps us:
- improve our services
- identify reoccurring issues
- improve policies and procedures
- improve the customer experience for tenants and residents
We regularly review complaint trends and use the learning to drive service improvements.
Housing Ombudsman
You can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service for advice and guidance at any stage of your complaint.
If you remain unhappy after receiving your Stage two response, you may ask the Housing Ombudsman Service to investigate your complaint.
Information on how to refer your complaint to the Housing Ombudsman can be found at:
Telephone: 0300 111 3000
Email: info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk
Accessibility and support
We are committed to making sure that our complaints process is accessible to all residents.
Let us know if you:
- need information in another format
- require translation or interpretation services
- need support due to a disability, health condition or vulnerability
- would like someone to act on your behalf
We will make reasonable adjustments to support you throughout the complaints process.