FAQs explaining the complaints process

We define a complaint as an expression of dissatisfaction about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by LHP or one of our employees affecting an individual or group of customers.

A complaint is not a report or request for service, an anti-social behaviour complaint, an enquiry about a service or a claim for compensation.

You can read our complaints policy and find out more.

Some complaints can be resolved quickly and easily without the need for a formal investigation. We’ll try to sort out your problem straight away at this first stage. If you are not satisfied with our initial response you may take the complaint to the next stage.

Stage one

We will acknowledge your complaint within three working days of receiving it and let you know who is dealing with it and when they will respond.

Stage two

If you are not satisfied with the response, this will be reviewed by a director or their nominated head of service, who will respond to you within 15 days.
Please note that some investigations may take longer than others. We will let you know if there are any delays in completing our investigation and agree with you a revised date for a response.

Expected outcomes

When registering a complaint, or escalating a complaint to the next level, you will be asked to give clear details of what you are unhappy with and what your expected outcome is for the complaint – what you are seeking and what you want to achieve. We reserve the right not to accept or escalate a complaint if this is not provided.

If you are still dissatisfied, you have the right to refer your complaint to a designated person (stage three). This could be an MP, local councillor or our tenant panel. If you choose the tenant panel as your designated person, the panel will be made up of three tenants. Members have received training on our complaints process and will try to resolve your complaint and act as a mediator between you and us.

The designated person can refer your complaint to the Ombudsman, if they are unable to resolve it locally.

If for any reason the designated person does not feel it appropriate to refer your complaint to the Ombudsman you can do so yourself but you must wait eight weeks from the date that your complaint has been through our processes.

The Ombudsman will only normally get involved in your case after you have been through our full complaints procedure and failed to have your complaint resolved.

Under our policy, we reserve the right to class complaints as unreasonable, frivolous or vexatious and not accept them for further action. We may also take this view at any time during the handling of a complaint.

We class the following types of complaint as vexatious:

• Persistent, excessive and/or unwarranted complaint about the same matter and/or which is pursued by a complainant when appropriate procedures have been followed and exhausted.

If your complaint is classed as vexatious, we will tell you how it will be dealt with.

You can read our vexatious and persistent complainants policy and find out more.