If you have issues with your landlord, the Homelessness and Housing Advice Service team can advise and assist with any problems with your tenancy.  

Specialist organisations

There are also specialist organisations that can offer independent advice on a wide variety of housing related issues, such as Shelter or the Citizens Advice Bureau.  

Low income

If you are on a low income and unable to pay the rent find out if you are able to claim housing benefit or claim council tax support.

Debt advice

Debt advice is also available online from the independent Money Advice Service.  Local debt advice services and credit unions also operate across Warrington.

Poor housing conditions

You can make a service request to private sector housing, by email, phone or letter, or in person at our Housingplus reception at the Gateway on Sankey Street.  

We will acknowledge your request in writing and if appropriate, send out a private sector housing officer to inspect your house and give you advice accordingly.

We will take the matter up with your landlord on your behalf and will agree an acceptable solution to resolve the conditions.  If necessary, we can use our legal powers to ensure that the work which we consider essential is completed.  We will do this in accordance with our private sector housing enforcement policy.  We will investigate service requests from all tenants, including those who are living in social housing and deal with any issues raised as necessary.

If we can't help directly, we'll try and signpost you to someone who can.

Making a complaint 

In cases where you consider that we have not undertaken our duties appropriately, you can complain using the council's complaints procedure.

Alternatively, you can go directly to the Local Government Ombudsman if your complaint is about the council's wider activities, for example in discharging their statutory homelessness duties.  

Depending on the seriousness of your complaint, the LGO may request that you go through the councils formal complaints procedure before your complaint is investigated by their service.

The Housing Ombudsman will investigate all complaints from tenants of social landlords – but only complaints that have been referred by a “designated person”, such as a MP, councillor or recognised tenant panel, or by the tenant themselves if 8 weeks have passed from the completion of the landlord’s internal complaint process.