How we meet the Complaint Handling Code, how you can make a complaint and our complaint handling performance.
The Housing Ombudsman publishes a Complaint Handling Code which helps social landlords, like the council, respond to complaints effectively and fairly.
As part of the Code, we must complete a self-assessment at least once every 12 months. This page is a summary of our latest self-assessment, completed in June 2026.
Our complaints procedures
See our complaints procedures page and pdf housing complaints policy(349 KB) for details of how we handle complaints, including our 2 stage process.
How you can make a complaint
You can make a complaint:
- online, see housing: complaints and feedback
- in person at our Citizen Service Point
- by post, write to Customer Relations (100TS), PO Box 3399, Bristol, BS1 9NE
For help with making a complaint in another language, braille or larger print, or on audio tape, you can email complaints.feedback@bristol.gov.uk.
If you make a complaint through social media, we'll ask you to use our online form to tell us about it. This is so we have all the information we need to investigate it. See our social media policy.
Our complaint handling performance
Between April 2025 and March 2026, Housing and Landlord Services received:
- 1,724 complaints
- 1,723 comments
During this period 0 complaints were refused under the Complaint Handling Code.
The largest number of complaints related to:
- time waiting for works or repairs: 443
- quality or appropriateness of a service: 231
- attitude, conduct or behaviour of staff: 122
- delivery or non-delivery of a service: 102
- quality of communication: 85
- complaint response times
The Complaint Handling Code requires landlords to respond to Stage 1 complaints within 10 working days.
During 2025 to 2026:
- 66% of Stage 1 complaints were responded to within target
- 25% were responded to outside target timescales
- 15% had no SLA compliance recorded.
To improve performance, the service introduced weekly monitoring and reporting arrangements to increase management oversight and drive improvements in response times.
Complaint resolution
During 2025 to 2026:
- 83% of complaints were resolved at Stage 1
- 77% of Stage 2 complaints were resolved through the internal complaints process
- 5% of complaints progressed to the Housing Ombudsman
Complaint outcomes
Of complaints completed during the year:
- 51% were upheld or partly upheld
- 31% were not upheld
- 18% were recorded as other or no outcome
Stage 2 complaints
There were 226 Stage 2 complaint investigations during 2025 to 2026.
The most common reasons for escalation were:
- disagreement with the Stage 1 decision: 125
- failure to address all issues raised: 65
- promised actions not completed: 36
- customer satisfaction
Following closure of complaints, residents were invited to complete a satisfaction survey.
53% of respondents were satisfied with how their complaint was handled, an increase of 2% compared with the previous year.
As part of the annual Tenant Satisfaction Measures survey, 27% of council tenants and leaseholders said they were satisfied with the council's approach to handling complaints.
Housing Ombudsman findings
During the year, the Housing Ombudsman concluded 18 investigations involving Bristol City Council, with a further 18 cases awaiting determination.
Determinations received were:
- 2 Severe Maladministration findings
- 11 Maladministration findings
- 3 Service Failure findings
- 2 No Maladministration findings
The council also received 3 Complaint Handling Failure Orders relating to the completion of Ombudsman orders or information requests.
Self-assessment
Our annual self-assessment found the service to be compliant with the majority of requirements within the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code, including:
- definition of a complaint
- exclusions
- accessibility and awareness
- complaint handling staff
- complaint handling process
- putting things right
- scrutiny, oversight and continuous learning
What we improved
As a result of complaints, resident feedback and Housing Ombudsman learning, we have:
- introduced standard complaint response templates and case review processes
- improved early resolution of complaints at Stage 1
- strengthened communication with residents throughout investigations
- introduced enhanced performance monitoring and reporting
- improved oversight of Housing Ombudsman cases
- strengthened record keeping and evidence management
- delivered updated complaints training for managers and staff
- increased governance, accountability and senior management oversight
These improvements are helping to improve the consistency, quality and timeliness of complaint handling across Housing and Landlord Services.
Planned improvements
Our priorities are to:
- maintain full compliance with the Housing Ombudsman Complaint Handling Code
- improve Stage 1 and Stage 2 performance
- strengthen governance and performance management
- improve how learning from complaints is embedded into services
- enhance communication with residents
- improve training and support for staff
- ensure sufficient resources are available to manage complaints effectively
We'll continue to use resident feedback, complaint learning and Housing Ombudsman determinations to drive service improvement and deliver better outcomes for residents.
Performance report
- pdf Landlord annual complaints performance 2025 to 2026(457 KB)
- pdf Landlord annual complaints performance 2025 to 2026 Quarter 3 (354 KB)
- pdf Landlord annual complaints performance 2025 to 2026 Quarter 2 (279 KB)
- pdf Landlord annual complaints performance 2025 to 2026 Quarter 1 (185 KB)
- pdf Landlord annual complaints performance 2024 to 2025(277 KB)
Self-assessment
- pdf Housing Ombudsman self assessment 2025 to 2026(312 KB)
- pdf Housing Ombudsman self assessment 2024 to 2025(341 KB)
Response from member responsible for complaints, Councillor Barry Parsons:
As the Member Responsible for Complaints, I welcome this Annual Complaints Report and the progress being made to strengthen complaint handling across Housing and Landlord Services.
Complaints are valuable because they tell us where we need to do better, and give us the chance to put things right.
We recognise that performance against Housing Ombudsman timescales remains below the standards we expect. However, the service has undertaken a comprehensive review of complaint handling and has implemented a clear improvement plan to address these challenges.
The introduction of a dedicated complaints service, additional resources, enhanced training and stronger performance monitoring demonstrates a genuine commitment to improving residents' experience and using complaints as a catalyst for positive change.
The self-assessment confirms that the service is generally compliant with the Complaint Handling Code, with improvement activity focused on the areas where further progress is required.
I am confident that the service has a credible plan in place and is taking the necessary steps to improve performance, strengthen accountability and build trust with residents.