What to do if you're unhappy with our service

We’ve seen an increase in ‘no win, no fee’ solicitors and claims companies targeting customers with promises of large payouts for taking their landlord to court in a disrepair claim. 

We’d ask customers to be cautious and use their judgement when receiving unsolicited legal advice to bring a disrepair claim, when in most cases they may simply want repairs completed. This is because unsuccessful claims can result in significant costs being passed on to those customers. 

The quickest and most effective way to resolve any repairs issue with your home is to contact our repairs team first. If you are still dissatisfied with our service after this then a formal complaint is your best option. 

You will always have the legal right to bring a legal claim for disrepair, but we are committed to supporting our customers with repairs to maintain their homes in a way that means they don’t feel they have to. 

Both the Housing Ombudsman ,the  Citizens Advice Bureau and the Government’s Ministry of Justice recommend contacting your landlord first before considering pursuing legal action. The Financial Conduct Authority has also warned about scams where companies falsely claim to offer financial services, so please be cautious. 

To learn more about our complaints process, visit our complaints page or email complaints@aster.co.uk. 

How ‘no win no fee’ claims have led to poor customer outcomes 

Case 1:A customer signed a no-win, no-fee agreement instead of reporting issues directly to us. We resolved the problems and offered compensation, but a year later, the customer’s ‘no win no fee’ solicitor pursued a court claim over issues that had already been fixed. The claim failed, leaving them with over £2,000 in legal fees and a CCJ. 

Case 2:Another customer responded to a social media ad from a solicitor and signed a legal agreement. We carried out extensive repairs, and the customer was happy with the work we had done. However, their solicitors continued with a claim that was dismissed in court. The judge ordered the solicitors to pay £7,767.21 in costs, and the customer received nothing.