Complaints
We value your feedback. If something goes wrong, we want to fix it and prevent it happening again. We aim to resolve issues quickly, but if you’re unhappy with our approach or service, you can make a complaint:
- Online at folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/council-tenants-leaseholder-service/suggestion-compliment-complaint.
- By emailing complaints@folkestone-hythe.gov.uk
- By writing to the Housing & Corporate Complaints Officer, Folkestone & Hythe District Council, Civic Centre, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, CT20 2QY
Our Complaints Officer handles Stage 1 complaints. If you’re not satisfied, you can escalate to Stage 2 for review by a senior housing manager. If you’re still unhappy, you can complain to the Housing Ombudsman.
Complaints don’t include service requests like repairs, anti-social behaviour reports, or information queries. These are handled separately as part of the council’s day-to-day business.
Read our Complaints Policy..
Types of complaints received
Between April and September 2025, the housing team handled 36 complaints (25 Stage 1 complaints and 11 Stage 2 complaints).
Learning from complaints - We reviewed complaints upheld between April and September 2025 to understand the causes and improve our services. The findings are shown in the table below.
| What was the problem? | What have we done? |
|---|---|
| Tenant was asked to arrange pest control when the issue in question was the council’s responsibility. |
We are ensuring that further information is taken at the first point of contact, to identify whether the treatment of the pest is the tenant’s responsibility or the council’s.
|
| Tenant was charged full rent in error due to an incorrect Direct Debit calculation. | We have added an extra level of checks to ensure that any changes to rent amounts align with the scheduled Direct Debit amounts. |
| Unprofessional conduct by a Housing Income Officer. | The officer has been spoken to directly, and received guidance and feedback on the appropriate way to conduct calls with tenants. |
|
Tenant has records of contact with the council which the council does not hold on file.
|
We have reminded all staff of the importance of recording all interactions with tenants.
|
|
Delays in repair works caused by incomplete information being passed to Mears.
|
We have spoken to the Neighbourhood Surveyor and to Mears to ensure that preparation works are accounted for in future jobs.
|
|
Unauthorised payment taken.
|
The system which caused this error has been replaced with a new service charge management system, which means this issue can never happen again. |