Only 12 tenant panels to refer complaints to the housing ombudsman have been set up so far.
Housing ombudsman Mike Biles told the Chartered Institute of Housing’s annual conference that take-up of the scheme has been slow since it started three months ago.
Changes to the way complaints from tenants are handled mean they initially have to go through a tenant panel or a local MP or councillor before being referred to the ombudsman.
Panels must be formally recognised by a social landlord to become registered with the ombudsman.
In an electronic poll of the 50-strong audience at the conference session, only 33 per cent said they or their tenants had asked to set up a designated panel.
Speaking after the seminar Mr Biles said: ‘I was just speaking to a landlord from Tower Hamlets, and their approach is that their residents might not want to go to an MP or a councillor because it could feel hierarchical.
‘But the designated tenants panel, they could go to them and get it solved or they could say pass this on to the ombudsman now.
‘He saw it as an extension of tenant’s rights.’
He said landlords do not have to recognise panels, but ‘they better have a reason why’ if they refuse.
Lindsey Farquhar, customer feedback officer of City West Housing Trust in Salford, said her organisation has just finished setting up a designated tenants panel.
Yf you want to know ore about the North West Panel of Salix, City West, Together Group and New Charter, give me a shout as i am mentoring them on hello@tenantadvisor.net