Satchell Moran Solicitors
10 Dryden Road
Wavertree Technology Park
Liverpool, L7 9PG
0151 268 8282
info@satchellmoransolicitors.com
Satchell Moran Solicitors
10 Dryden Road
Wavertree Technology Park
Liverpool, L7 9PG
0151 268 8282
info@satchellmoransolicitors.com
If you're a Southern Housing tenant living with damp, mould, leaks or other unresolved repairs, our housing disrepair solicitors can help you claim compensation and get the work done. Contact Satchell Moran's specialist housing disrepair team to start your claim.
Start Your Claim
Southern Housing is one of the largest housing associations in England, managing around 80,000 homes and housing more than 160,000 residents across London, the South East, the Midlands and the Isle of Wight. As a registered social landlord, Southern Housing has a legal duty to keep its properties safe, structurally sound and fit for tenants to live in.
If you are a Southern Housing tenant living with damp, mould, leaks, broken heating, structural problems or other unresolved repairs, you may be entitled to compensation, alongside having the repairs carried out.
Satchell Moran’s housing disrepair solicitors act for tenants of housing associations and councils across England and Wales on a no win, no fee basis. If Southern Housing has failed to repair your home, contact us to find out where you stand.
Fundamental Rights
As a Southern Housing tenant, you have the right to a home that is safe, secure and free from disrepair.
Compensation Claims
If Southern Housing has failed to act on reported repairs, you may be entitled to compensation as well as the work itself being carried out.
Expert Representation
Specialist no win, no fee legal support for Southern Housing tenants across England and Wales.
Southern Housing was formed in December 2022 through the merger of Southern Housing Group and Optivo. Since then, it has been the subject of significant formal scrutiny by both the Housing Ombudsman Service and the Regulator of Social Housing.
In June 2023, the Housing Ombudsman launched a special investigation into Southern Housing after its complaint-handling maladministration rate rose sharply from 56% to 81% in a single year, alongside a Complaint Handling Failure Order and other severe maladministration findings made against it. The Ombudsman’s resulting special report, published in May 2024, reviewed 77 cases and made 184 findings, with an overall maladministration rate of 79% and a maladministration rate of 92% specifically in relation to complaint handling. The Ombudsman made 300 orders for Southern Housing to put things right, and found a lack of ownership within the landlord’s complaint-handling culture, warning that pre-existing problems at merging landlords risk being lost or becoming worse rather than resolved.
Separately, in August 2024 the Regulator of Social Housing carried out its first inspection of Southern Housing under the consumer standards, awarding a consumer grade of C2. The Regulator found evidence of weaknesses in the provision of an effective, efficient and timely repairs service, with tenant satisfaction, complaints and performance information all indicating that improvement was needed. Southern Housing’s governance grade was upgraded to the top G1 rating at the same time.
In its own March 2026 corporate strategy, Southern Housing publicly acknowledged that its repairs service “has not been up to standard,” citing unclear scheduling, repeat calls, inconsistent diagnosis and missed appointments as recurring problems raised by residents, and has set a target of achieving the Regulator’s top C1 consumer grade by 2028.
This history does not mean every Southern Housing tenant has a claim, but it does mean Southern Housing’s record on repairs and complaint handling has been, and continues to be, independently and formally scrutinised, and has been publicly acknowledged by the landlord itself. If you are experiencing similar issues, you are not alone, and you do not have to accept the situation.
A recurring issue in Ombudsman findings against Southern Housing. If damp or mould has been reported and not properly diagnosed or treated at its source, this may form the basis of a claim.
Leaking pipes, roofs or guttering that Southern Housing has been notified about but has failed to repair within a reasonable timeframe.
Southern Housing has acknowledged unclear scheduling, repeat call-outs and missed appointments as a known issue affecting its repairs service.
Broken boilers, heating systems or hot water supplies left unrepaired, particularly where this affects vulnerable residents.
Cracked walls, ceilings, unsafe flooring or window and door defects affecting the safety of the property.
Faulty wiring, exposed cabling or unsafe gas installations that Southern Housing has not addressed.
You may be eligible to make a housing disrepair claim against Southern Housing if:
More about us and how we helpYou are, or were, a tenant of a Southern Housing property in England or Wales (including former Southern Housing Group or Optivo properties)
You reported the disrepair to Southern Housing in writing or have a clear record of having done so
Southern Housing has failed to carry out repairs within a reasonable time
Our specialist housing disrepair solicitors act for tenants across England and Wales on a no win, no fee basis. There is no financial risk in finding out where you stand.
We handle housing disrepair claims against Southern Housing on a no win, no fee basis. This means:
We will also assess whether your case may need to follow the Pre-Action Protocol for Housing Condition Claims before formal proceedings are issued, and explain each step in plain English as your claim against Southern Housing progresses.
Yes. You do not need to have moved out to bring a disrepair claim. In fact, claims are often used to compel Southern Housing to carry out repairs while you remain living there, alongside seeking compensation.
No. It is unlawful for Southern Housing to evict you, increase your rent, or otherwise penalise you simply for making a housing disrepair claim or reporting disrepair.
Yes. Southern Housing Group and Optivo merged to form Southern Housing in December 2022. If your disrepair issue relates to a property previously managed by either organisation, you can still bring a claim against Southern Housing as the current landlord.
This depends on the severity and duration of the disrepair, and the impact it has had on you. For a general guide to how compensation is calculated, see our housing disrepair compensation guide.
You do not need to use a solicitor; you can refer a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman yourself free of charge once you have exhausted Southern Housing’s internal complaints process. Many tenants choose to instruct a solicitor to run a formal legal claim for compensation and to enforce repairs, particularly where Southern Housing has failed to resolve the issue through its own complaints process.
An offer from Southern Housing does not necessarily reflect the full value of your claim, particularly if it was made outside Southern Housing’s formal complaints process. We can review any offer you have received before you accept it.
In most cases, you have six years from when the disrepair began, or from when Southern Housing was made aware and failed to act, to bring a claim. Time limits can vary depending on the type of claim and individual circumstances. For full detail on limitation periods, see our guide to housing disrepair compensation.
