The Housing Ombudsman is to issue its first Good Practice guidance later this year, following a consultation into the issue.
This guidance will look at how effective relationships can be established between landlords and residents, as well as how these can be repaired if they break down.
Examples of best practice will be provided and the Ombudsman will use this to establish a framework to help landlords problem solve.
Practical lessons will also be shared in an aim to reduce the need for residents to raise complaints or refer cases to the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman received 163 responses during its consultation from residents, landlords and key sector bodies. Respondents were asked to share their views on relationship management between landlords and residents.
The motivation for this partly stemmed from the Grenfell Tower inquiry which found evidence of “distrust, dislike, personal antagonism and anger” between landlords and residents.
Commenting on the plans, Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said the guidance would be a “valuable tool” for landlords and a move away from simply being a “tick-box exercise”.
“This guidance will share the good we see in our casework which can sometimes be overshadowed by examples of where things have gone wrong,” said Richard. “We will highlight approaches where landlords have delivered person-centered services rather than follow ‘copy and paste’ policies, which can often fail in the current and complex operating environment.”
