A FIVE-FOLD rise in substandard housing complaints since 2020 could lead to "social disquiet,” the Housing Ombudsman warned today.

The ombudsman told of “simmering anger” at poor housing conditions as it found “clear and consistent failings” in maintenance to properties, which it said has become a more “complex and costly” issue over the years.

Reasons for complaints included asbestos, electrical and fire safety issues, pest control and leaks, as well as damp and mould.

The ombudsman, which deals with disputes between residents and social housing landlords in England, investigated 6,380 complaints in the year to March 2025, up from 1,111 in 2019-20.

London Renters Union spokesman Jae Vail said: “It’s clear the current social housing model has failed ordinary people.

“Housing associations were set up to provide an alternative to slum housing.

“But these days they act more like corporate developers, paying huge salaries to bosses and building expensive private rentals while social tenants are trapped in dangerous conditions.

“We need the government to step up and properly fund the repair and expansion of our public housing stock.

“Tenants also need the right to withhold rent in cases of serious disrepair so that we can take power back into our own hands and force landlords to fix up.”

The ombudsman called for an independent review “to find a sustainable financial settlement for the social housing sector” and the creation of a statutory body to protect and advocate tenant interests.

A Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government spokesperson said: “Everyone deserves to live in a safe, secure home and despite the situation we have inherited, we are taking decisive action to make this a reality.”