Formal complaint to your council (Northern Ireland)

When to use this document

• ·Your council in Northern Ireland keeps missing your bin collection and phoning has not helped.
• ·You reported noise or pests to the council's environmental health team and heard nothing back.
• ·You are unhappy with how the council dealt with your complaint about a neighbour's building work.
• ·You want to make a formal complaint to the council before going to the Ombudsman.

What you fill in

The details the document asks for.

• ·Sender
• ·Sender's address
• ·Town or city
• ·Sender's postcode
• ·Date
• ·Council
• ·Council's address, with postcode
• ·Council's reference (blank if none)
• ·Service or decision the complaint is about (e.g. missed bin collections)
• ·What the complaint is about
• ·Complaint history
• ·Requested outcome
• ·Email
• ·Attachments

Related documents

• Request for a mandatory reconsideration of a Department for Communities decision (Northern Ireland)

  For a claimant in Northern Ireland who disagrees with a Department for Communities decision on Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Employment and Support Allowance, Carer's Allowance or another benefit. A written request to look again at the decision, within one month of it, or later with your reasons: it names the decision, says why it is wrong, lists new evidence, asks for the evidence used and for a mandatory reconsideration notice, the step before an appeal to The Appeals Service. The journal and the phone line are free alternatives. Posted first class. Sold blank.

• Letter telling a bank or organisation that a power of attorney has been revoked (Northern Ireland)

  For someone in Northern Ireland who has revoked a power of attorney given under the Powers of Attorney Act (Northern Ireland) 1971: a letter to a bank, building society, utility, landlord or any organisation the attorney has dealt with, saying the power has ended, asking it to stop taking the attorney’s instructions and to confirm this in writing. It encloses a copy of the deed of revocation and goes by Royal Mail Signed For or by hand.

• Ask the council to inspect a rented home in poor condition (Northern Ireland)

  For a private tenant in Northern Ireland whose landlord has not dealt with serious problems — damp and mould, no heating, dangerous electrics, vermin. The letter asks the district council’s environmental health team to inspect the home against the fitness standard and take action against the landlord, such as a notice requiring repairs. Many councils take inspection requests online or by phone, free; this letter sets out the problems, the history of your reports and the photos in one place, by post or email.

• Letter of consent for a child to travel abroad (Northern Ireland)

  For a parent with parental responsibility who is not going on the trip: a signed letter consenting to the child travelling abroad, the Republic of Ireland included, with the other parent, grandparents, a school or another family. Taking a child under 16 out of the United Kingdom without everyone’s consent or the court’s leave can be an offence (Article 3 of the Child Abduction (Northern Ireland) Order 1985). There is no official form; the letter names the child, the trip and the dates.

• Report disrepair, damp or mould and ask your landlord for repairs (Northern Ireland)

  For a private tenant in Northern Ireland whose home needs repairs — damp and mould, a broken boiler, leaks, faulty electrics. The letter reports each problem in writing with dated photos, reminds the landlord of the repairing duties the Private Tenancies (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 sets where the tenancy agreement is silent and of the fitness standard, asks to arrange an inspection within 14 days, and confirms you will keep paying the rent. If nothing happens, the council’s environmental health team can inspect, free.

• Complaint to the Housing Executive or a housing association about repairs (Northern Ireland)

  For a tenant of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive or a housing association whose repairs have not been done, or not done properly — damp and mould, leaks, heating. The letter makes a formal complaint, or asks for the final stage of the landlord’s complaints procedure, setting out the problems, when you reported them, the effect on your household and what you want done. Both take complaints online or by phone too, free. After the final stage, the Northern Ireland Public Services Ombudsman can look at it, normally within six months.