Complaints Procedure

Luna Homes Complaints Procedure

At Luna Homes, we are committed to providing a high standard of service and making sure our tenants feel supported, respected and listened to in their home.

Our aim is to get things right first time and provide a positive experience throughout your tenancy. We understand, however, that sometimes things do not go to plan. When that happens, we want to hear from you.

Complaints help us put things right, understand where improvements can be made and continue developing the service we provide. All complaints will be handled professionally, fairly and with respect for your confidentiality.

Our Commitment

We will acknowledge your formal complaint within 2 working days and confirm the name and contact details of the person handling it.
We will treat you fairly and listen carefully to your concerns.
We will investigate complaints objectively and keep you informed throughout the process.
If we have got something wrong, we will be open about it, apologise where appropriate and explain what we will do to put things right.
We will use what we learn from complaints to improve our homes, services and processes.
Making a complaint in good faith will not affect your tenancy or the service you receive from us.

What counts as a complaint?

A complaint is an expression of dissatisfaction about the service we have provided, the behaviour or conduct of a Luna Homes team member or contractor, or something we have done or failed to do.

This may include dissatisfaction with the way we have handled a repair, maintenance issue or previous service request.

You do not need to use the word “complaint” for us to recognise and deal with your concern as one.

Repairs, Maintenance and Defects

Reporting a repair, maintenance issue, snag or defect for the first time will not normally be treated as a complaint. These should be reported to Luna Homes through the usual reporting channels so that we can arrange for the issue to be investigated and resolved.

For newly built homes, some issues may be identified as defects that require investigation or remedial works by the housebuilder. Luna Homes will manage this process on your behalf and will remain your point of contact throughout. We will liaise directly with the housebuilder and any relevant contractors, keep you updated on progress and communicate any proposed works or appointments with you.

You will not be expected to contact or pursue the housebuilder directly.

If you are dissatisfied with the way a repair, maintenance issue or defect has been handled, you can raise a complaint under this procedure. This may include concerns about:

Delays in investigating or resolving the issue.
The communication or updates you have received.
Missed or rearranged appointments.
The quality of remedial works.
A recurring issue that has not been successfully resolved.
The way Luna Homes, the housebuilder or a contractor has handled the matter.

Where your complaint relates to works that are the responsibility of the housebuilder or another contractor, Luna Homes will continue to manage the complaint and communication with you while liaising with the relevant party as necessary.

Making a complaint will not replace, delay or pause any repair, maintenance or defect works that are required. Where appropriate, those works will continue while the complaint is being investigated.

Who can complain?

A complaint can be made by:

Current tenants.
Prospective tenants.
Former tenants, normally within 6 months of their tenancy ending.
A third party or representative acting on behalf of a tenant, with the tenant’s consent.

Issues not normally dealt with under this procedure

Some matters are dealt with through other processes and will not normally be treated as complaints under this procedure. These include:

A first-time request for a service, such as reporting a repair, maintenance issue, snag or defect.
A request relating to ending your tenancy, which will be dealt with in accordance with your tenancy agreement and applicable legislation.
A complaint raised more than 3 months after the issue occurred or you became aware of it, unless there are exceptional circumstances or the issue is ongoing.
Anonymous complaints, although we may still investigate where health, safety, safeguarding or other serious concerns are raised.
Reports of anti-social behaviour, nuisance or neighbour disputes, which may need to be managed through our anti-social behaviour procedures or referred to another appropriate organisation.
Matters that are already the subject of legal proceedings where it would be inappropriate for us to investigate the same issue through our complaints procedure.

Where an issue falls outside this procedure, we will explain why and, wherever possible, advise you of the appropriate route to follow.

How to make a complaint

We encourage you to raise any concerns with your Community Manager or another member of the Luna Homes team as soon as possible. Wherever we can, we will try to resolve straightforward concerns quickly without the need for a formal complaint.

If you wish to make a formal complaint, please put it in writing and send it to Luna Homes by email or letter.

Please include as much information as possible, including:

What your complaint is about.
What has happened and when.
Any action already taken.
Why you are dissatisfied.
What you would like us to do to resolve the matter.

You can ask a representative or advocate to make a complaint on your behalf, with your consent.

We will make reasonable adjustments wherever needed to support tenants with disabilities, language barriers or other accessibility needs through the complaints process.

All timescales referred to in this procedure are working days unless stated otherwise.

Stage 1 – Formal Complaint

We will acknowledge your complaint within 2 working days of receiving it and confirm who will be responsible for investigating it.

Your complaint will normally be investigated by an appropriate manager, who will review the circumstances, speak to relevant team members or contractors where necessary and consider any information or evidence provided.

We will provide you with a formal written response within 15 working days of acknowledging your complaint.

Our response will explain:

What we have investigated.
What we have found.
Whether your complaint has been upheld, partially upheld or not upheld.
Any action we have taken or intend to take.
What you can do if you remain dissatisfied.

If we are unable to provide a full response within 15 working days because the matter is particularly complex, we will explain why, keep you updated and confirm when you can expect our response.

Stage 2 – Senior Management Review

If you remain dissatisfied with our Stage 1 response, you can ask us to review your complaint.

You should normally request a review within 15 days of receiving our Stage 1 response and explain why you remain dissatisfied.

A senior member of the Luna Homes team who has not previously been responsible for investigating the complaint will undertake a separate review.

We will provide our written response within 15 working days of receiving your request for a review. This response will confirm Luna Homes’ final viewpoint on the complaint and explain any further action we intend to take.

If additional time is required because of the complexity of the matter, we will explain why, keep you updated and confirm when you can expect our final response.

Independent Review

If you remain dissatisfied after receiving Luna Homes’ final viewpoint, you may be able to refer your complaint to the independent redress scheme of which Luna Homes is a member.

You may also be able to refer your complaint to the relevant redress scheme if more than 8 weeks have passed since you first made your complaint and the matter has not been resolved.

An independent review is available without charge to the complainant, subject to the relevant scheme’s eligibility requirements and timescales.

Our final viewpoint will provide details of the relevant redress scheme and explain how you can refer your complaint for independent review.

Nothing in this complaints procedure affects your statutory rights or prevents you from seeking independent legal or housing advice.

Record Keeping and Monitoring

All formal complaints will be recorded in our central system, including key dates, correspondence, actions taken and outcomes.

Complaint data will be reviewed regularly by Luna Homes’ Senior Management Team to identify recurring issues, trends and opportunities to improve our homes and services.

Lessons learned from complaints may also be used to inform team training, contractor performance reviews and operational improvements.

Confidentiality and Fairness

All complaints will be handled confidentially and in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.

No tenant will be treated less favourably for making a complaint in good faith.

Where a Luna Homes team member is directly involved in the subject of a complaint, they will not be responsible for formally investigating it.

We expect everyone involved in the complaints process to communicate respectfully, and we will always seek to resolve concerns constructively, consistently and fairly.