This guidance note sets out a view from the Housing Ombudsman that landlords should not close their complaints procedure prematurely if a resident commences with the pre-action protocol but should rather continue to try to resolve the issue. The disrepair protocol does not take precedence until papers have been served, therefore landlords should try to resolve complaints in parallel with pre-action claims.
This will maximise the opportunities to resolve disputes potentially sooner through the complaints process and in a less adversarial way.