Later this year, the Housing Ombudsman is set to unveil its inaugural Good Practice guidance, a pivotal document aimed at enhancing the dynamics between landlords and their residents. This effort zeroes in on relationship management—both fostering constructive interactions and mending those that have fractured over time.

The initiative has its roots in widespread endorsement received during a consultation held last year. The Ombudsman has now published feedback gathered from a diverse array of 163 respondents, including landlords, residents, and influential stakeholders. The insights from this consultation will inform the forthcoming guidance, shaping it into a practical tool for the sector.

The urgency of addressing strained landlord-resident relationships is underscored by lessons drawn from the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. This tragedy spotlighted how deteriorated relationships can breed mistrust, animosity, and ultimately, systemic failures. Such lessons form the backbone of this guidance, which is designed to rebuild trust and prevent grievances from escalating.

Underpinned by powers granted through the Social Housing (Regulation) Act, the Good Practice guidance will shine a spotlight on examples of success within the sector. Its primary aim? To empower landlords with strategies for resolving issues, thereby mitigating the volume and severity of resident complaints.

A cornerstone of the guidance will be a self-assessment framework, enabling landlords to critically evaluate their current practices. Through this process, landlords are expected to draft improvement plans that not only address weaknesses but also encourage them to derive lessons from past complaints.

To ensure its practical application, the Ombudsman’s Centre for Learning will collaborate with landlords, offering support as they engage with the guidance. Feedback from the resident panel will serve as a crucial element, grounding the guidance in lived experiences and ensuring it remains relevant to real-world challenges.

Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway remarked: “Good practice will be a valuable tool for landlords to test approaches and improve using the insights of complaints. As with all learning from complaints, the right culture and behaviours will produce the greatest benefits rather than a tick-box exercise.”

Blakeway elaborated on the focus of the guidance: “Our first topic will further explore areas in last year’s Spotlight report on attitudes, respects, and rights, encouraging landlords to refocus their attention on embracing every contact with a resident as an opportunity to get to know their customers, understand their needs and build relationships.”

The guidance also aims to counteract the often-overwhelming attention on negative case studies by celebrating effective, people-centred practices. Blakeway emphasized:
“This guidance will share the good we see in our casework which can sometimes be overshadowed by examples of where things have gone wrong. We will highlight approaches where landlords have delivered person-centred services rather than follow ‘copy and paste’ policies, which can often fail in the current and complex operating environment.”

Concluding, Blakeway added:
“We would like to thank the landlords and residents who took their time to respond to the consultation this year and look forward to continuing the collaboration as we roll out Good Practice during this year.”