In short
- Replace everything in [brackets]. Keep it short and in plain English.
- Answer every issue separately, in the order the tenant raised them.
- Only state facts your records show, and only state law you’ve checked.
- Always end with how to take the complaint further.
On this page
How to use these templates
Each template is complete enough to send once you’ve filled in the brackets. Adapt the wording to sound like your agency: a reply that sounds like you is easier to read than one that sounds like a form. A few rules make any version better:
- Use the tenant’s name and the property address, and refer to the date of their complaint.
- One short part per issue, in their order. Don’t merge issues.
- For each: what they raised, what you found, your decision, what happens next and when.
- Where you give a date, make it one you’ll keep.
1. Acknowledgement
Send the same day, or as soon as you can within your procedure’s timescale. Don’t respond to the substance yet.
Dear [name], Thank you for your email of [date]. We are treating it as a complaint under our complaints procedure. [Handler’s name] is dealing with it and will send you our full response by [date]. If we need anything else from you before then, we’ll be in touch. Kind regards, [Name] [Agency]
2. Holding letter (when you need more time)
Send before the date you promised, not after it. Give the reason and a new date.
Dear [name], We said we would send our full response to your complaint by [date]. We need a little longer, because [reason, e.g. we are waiting for the contractor’s report on the boiler]. We will now send it by [new date]. In the meantime, [anything already done or agreed, e.g. the engineer is booked for Tuesday 3 March]. We’re sorry for the delay. Kind regards, [Name] [Agency]
3. Final response
The main letter. Repeat the numbered block for each issue, and choose a decision paragraph for each from section 4.
Dear [name], Thank you for your complaint of [date] about [property address]. This is our response. You raised [number] issues: [issue 1], [issue 2] and [issue 3]. We have looked into each one and answer them in turn below. 1. [Issue 1, e.g. The heating] You told us [what they raised, in a sentence]. We have checked [the records you checked, e.g. our repair log and the contractor’s job sheets], which show [what they show]. [Decision paragraph: choose one from the list below.] [What happens next, and by when.] 2. [Issue 2] [As above.] 3. [Issue 3] [As above.] [If they asked for compensation:] You asked for [amount/what]. Having considered [the relevant facts, e.g. how long the heating was out and what we did in that time], we are offering [amount/what], because [reasons]. If you’re not satisfied with this response, you can ask for it to be reviewed by [who, e.g. our branch director] by [how]. If you remain unhappy after that, you can refer your complaint to [redress scheme name] at [website]. [Add any time limit your scheme sets.] Kind regards, [Name] [Agency]
4. A paragraph for each decision
One of these goes in each issue’s block. Base the reasons on your records, not on how the complaint was worded.
Upheld: We accept that we [fell short: e.g. took too long to arrange the repair]. We’re sorry. [What you will do, and by when.] Partly upheld: We accept that [the part that stands]. However, [the part that doesn’t, with the reason from the records]. Not upheld: Our records show [what they show, with dates]. For that reason we don’t uphold this part of your complaint. If you have anything that shows otherwise, please send it to us. Need more information: To answer this properly we need [what] from [you / the landlord / the contractor]. We have asked for it and will write to you by [date]. Escalated: This is a matter for [the landlord / a senior manager / our solicitor]. We have referred it on [date] and will update you by [date].
5. Wording for legal claims
For when the complaint cites the law. Check the provision on legislation.gov.uk first: that it says what’s claimed, applies in England and was in force on the date. Our verification guide shows how, with worked examples.
They’re right about the law: You’re right that [provision, e.g. section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985] requires [what it requires]. [Your decision.] They’re partly right: [Provision] provides that [what it does say]. It doesn’t [the part of the claim it doesn’t support, e.g. set a fixed time for repairs / make the payment automatic]. [Your decision on the facts.] You couldn’t find support for a claim: We’ve checked [provision(s) you checked]. We couldn’t find a requirement for [X], so we can’t agree to [Y] on that basis. [What you have done about the underlying problem.] Law from elsewhere in the UK: [Act] applies to homes in [Wales / Scotland]. Your home is in England, where [what applies instead]. A bill that never became law: The [bill] didn’t become law. The rules that apply are in [Act], which [what it says].
When a template stops being enough
A template works well for a complaint with one or two issues and no legal argument. It gets much harder when the complaint:
- raises several issues, each with several points;
- quotes legislation, which you have to check claim by claim before you can say anything about it;
- has a timeline that doesn’t match your records;
- depends on evidence you haven’t got yet;
- demands compensation or sets deadlines;
- is already heading for your redress scheme.
That’s the kind of complaint AI tools now make easy to write, and the kind Casebriar is built for. It separates the complaint into issues and points, checks each legal claim against the legislation, lists the records for each issue, and, once you’ve decided every issue, drafts the full response in this structure, from your decisions and your records, with your redress scheme’s details added exactly as you set them. You edit it and send it from your own email.