Housing complaints

A complaint is “an expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the council, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual resident or group of residents”. 

You do not have to use the word ‘complaint’ for it to be treated as such, and anyone that expresses dissatisfaction is given the opportunity to make a complaint.

This complaints process is for residents who are tenants or leaseholders of Exeter City Council and are receiving services from the Council in its role as their landlord. If you are not a council tenant or leaseholder and wish to make a complaint about a council service, please use the Corporate Complaints process.

You will need to raise your complaint within 12 months of when you first noticed the issue. We will not normally consider a complaint made after that time.

We will review each complaint individually, consider the circumstances and take the complaint on its own merit.

You can make a complaint if you think we have:

• done something wrong
• behaved unfairly or impolitely
• not carried out a service to an agreed standard
• not responded to your request for a service within our stated timescale
• or if you think we have got something wrong in an Exeter City Council policy decision.

A service request is not a complaint.  For example, reporting a leaky tap.  Service requests will be logged and forwarded to the relevant department for action.

A service request may become a complaint when we haven’t addressed the problem or if there has been a service failure, for example if we do not repair your leaky tap within appropriate timescales.

Dissatisfaction with the service received, or lack of service, can be raised as a complaint.  For example, correspondence outlining that a reported repair or incident of anti-social behaviour that has not been dealt with. 

When we may not accept a complaint

We may not accept a complaint if:

• it is determined to be a service request, for example a repair or enquiry
• more than 12 months has elapsed since the issue arose (we will use our discretion over this and will consider each complaint individually)
• it duplicates another complaint already made, or a complaint in progress 
• legal proceedings have commenced and / or a Housing Disrepair Protocol is in progress
• if there is an accident or incident – this will be investigated separate to our complaints process
• the complaint is made in a vexatious manner (see “Housing Complaints Process”)

If Exeter City Council decides not to accept a complaint, a detailed explanation is provided setting out the reasons why the matter is not suitable for the complaints process and how to refer the matter to the Housing Ombudsman.