Camden Council has altered the phrasing of its apologies to social housing tenants after the Housing Ombudsman deemed its previous wording insincere and blame-shifting. The council had been using the line: “We are sorry you felt the need to complain.”
The ombudsman found that this language “put the responsibility on residents for taking action, instead of the council.” The council has now replaced it with: “Thank you for your complaint dated [XXX] and for taking the time to express your concerns.”
The change follows a 2023 investigation that identified repeated failings in the north London borough’s social housing provision. Issues included a broken lift that forced a man with arthritis to repeatedly climb stairs until he was moved, and a report by the social housing regulator that found “potential harm” from unaddressed fire risks.
On its website, the ombudsman stated that apologies should be timely, empathetic, personal and sincere, and should “avoid shifting the blame, or using passive, ambiguous or dismissive language.”
Camden Council acknowledged it expects a continued high volume of complaints due to chronic underinvestment, a shortage of affordable homes and ageing stock. However, it reported improvements including a new repairs system, better job monitoring and increased staff training. Resident satisfaction has reportedly improved after falling below the London and national average at the start of 2025.
Camden has the fourth highest waiting list for central London, with over 7,800 households on the housing register. Despite being one of London’s largest social housing providers, 70% of families are believed to live in severely overcrowded conditions. The council announced a £2.3bn investment into its Housing Strategy in January.
