Sanctuary Housing Association (202220062)

REPORT

COMPLAINT 202220062

Sanctuary Housing Association

28 August 2024

Our approach

The Housing Ombudsman’s approach to investigating and determining complaints is to decide what is fair in all the circumstances of the case. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme (the Scheme). The Ombudsman considers the evidence and looks to see if there has been any ‘maladministration’, for example, whether the landlord has failed to keep to the law, followed proper procedure, followed good practice, or behaved in a reasonable and competent manner.

Both the resident and the landlord have submitted information to the Ombudsman, and this has been carefully considered. Their accounts of what has happened are summarised below. This report is not an exhaustive description of all the events that have occurred in relation to this case, but an outline of the key issues as a background to the investigation’s findings.

The complaint

The complaint is about:
The landlord’s handling of the resident’s repair reports
The landlord’s complaint handling.

Background and summary of events

The resident is an assured tenant of the landlord. The tenancy started in August 2021. The property is a 2-bedroom semi detached house with a garden. The landlord has no vulnerabilities recorded for the resident.
On 26 August 2021, the resident raised a complaint about the lock on her front door. This was about the resident being unable to unlock the door on 20 August 2021 and 24 August 2021, and that the door had no letter box. The resident told the landlord the frame around the door needed replacing. The landlord acknowledged the complaint on 31 August 2021.
On 14 October 2021 the resident emailed the landlord. The resident included the following:
1. The week after moving into the property, she and her daughter were locked out of the property twice due to faulty front door locks which both needed to be replaced.
2. The landlord replaced the locks but one of the locks was very deep and she had to search for the hole to unlock the door. The door was also weakened, causing it to shake. The door was a safety concern and needed to be replaced.
3. Parts of the new kitchen units were unfinished, scratched and the counters had a slight tear which was patched up and left.
4. The space for the washing machine and cooker were very tight and she could not open the cupboard door under the sink unless the washing machine door was closed.
5. The heater in the kitchen shook
6. A plug socket was lifting off in the kitchen.
7. The kitchen door opened into the kitchen making it difficult to have the door open or get into the fridge.
8. The balustrades at the top of the stairs had bite marks.
9. The bath had scratches and a dent.
10. The water pressure in the sink and toilet was low.
11. The fence at the bottom of the garden was broken. She raised this when moving in and was told this would be discussed with the neighbouring resident.
The landlord responded on 15 October 2021 and advised it had forwarded the email onto the repairs department.
On 10 January 2022, the resident emailed the landlord about repairs. She said the following:
1. When she moved into the property there were no temperature controls on the heaters.
2. An appointment was booked for 1 December 2021 was cancelled due to staff sickness.
3. An appointment was booked for that day, but the resident was told the parts had not arrived during a call that afternoon.
4. The resident asked for an appointment as soon as possible.
5. The window in the front room had a crack in it.
On 11 January 2022 the resident reported the radiator heating up without the boiler on. The repair notes stated the resident contacted the repair centre on the same day to confirm the boiler was working normally again. The resident requested an engineer to attend because she was concerned it may happen again. The landlord confirmed it could not send an engineer if no repair was required and advised her to contact them if the fault happened again.
On 28 January 2022, the resident contacted the landlord to check an appointment. The landlord’s repair records stated the appointment was due that day but was not on the system.
On 2 February 2022, the resident resent her email from 14 October 2021 to the landlord. She added that the front window was cracked.
On 2 February 2022, the resident reported problems with the boiler. This included no hot water, and several radiators not working, a radiator in the kitchen vibrating when in use, and all the TRVs missing.
On 2 February 2022, the landlord raised a works order for the front door.
On 3 February 2022, the landlord responded to the resident’s email from the previous day. It said the following:
1. It had raised several repairs which were sent to its planning team. This included repairs to the front door, kitchen, kitchen door, kitchen plug socket, stairs, front room ceiling, damage to walls, bath, water pressure, sink plug, and cracked window.
2. A job to renew a radiator and install 5 5 TRV’s (thermostatic radiator valves was booked for 21 February 2022.
3. Emergency attendance for no hot water was booked for that day.
4. A housing officer would need to approve a repair to a dividing fence, as this was a joint responsibility between residents.
5. Internal decorations were a resident’s responsibility regardless of the current finish.
6. The landlord said it had emailed the housing team about the fence, pest control, and paint.
On 3 February 2022, the landlord raised a repair to water pressure to the sink a toilet. The landlord also raised repairs to the kitchen on this date.
On 4 February 2022, the repair raised to the boiler on 2 February 2022 was completed.
On 2 March 2022, the landlord emailed the resident. It said it had not yet received a reply from the housing team about the fence. It advised the resident that compensation could only be provided by its complaints team. It advised on how to log a complaint via its website.
On 19 April 2022, the landlord raised a repair to a cracked window in the front room. On this date it also raised a repair to replace the bath and the pop-up waste. On this date work took place to the kitchen, and the landlord raised works to replace 5 spindles in the staircase and overhaul. The repair records also stated the landlord overhauled the front door.
On 9 June 2022, the landlord completed a repair to replace the bath and pop-up waste to basin.
The landlord’s repair records stated repair work to the kitchen took place on 19 July 2022.
On 19 July 2022, the resident raised a complaint about outstanding repairs. The resident said work had not been completed, and she experienced stress due to long waiting times and cancellations. The resident’s email included the following as outstanding:
1. The repairs to the front door locks had weakened the door frame causing it to shake. The door needed to be replaced.
2. The replacement lock to the front door was not sturdy.
3. Parts of the kitchen fitted were unfinished, and one of the counters had a tear.
4. The space for the washing machine and cooker were very tight. The resident could not open the cupboard under the sink unless the washing machine door was closed.
5. A kitchen fire door was installed and the door opened into the kitchen making it difficult to have the door open and get into the fridge.
6. There were gaps under the kitchen sink and the resident was unsure if they should be covered.
7. The stair balustrades looked like that had been bitten by a dog previously.
8. There was damage to the walls in the front room and bedrooms.
9. The water pressure in the sink and toilet was low.
10. There was a broken garden fence at the bottom of the garden. This as raised when the resident moved in and she was told it would be discussed with the neighbour but nothing had been done.
11. A window in the front room was cracked.

The resident sent a further email to the landlord on this date to advise that following a repair to her kitchen, the counters did not match.

The landlord acknowledged the resident’s complaint on 21 July 2022. It said the complaint was about repairs to the front door, the kitchen units and worktop, the staircase, a cracked window, and plastering to the front room ceiling.
On 25 July 2022, the landlord noted the resident confirmed the works to the bath were completed. On this date the landlord raised further works to the kitchen following an email form the resident about the worktop being a different colour. It booked an appointment with the resident for 21 September 2022 to repair this.
On 2 August 2022, the resident emailed the landlord and said she wanted to continue her complaint. The resident said this was about the repairs listed in her email on 2 February 2022.
On 22 August 2022, the resident followed up with the landlord on her complaint.
On 6 September 2022, the resident reported a further problem with the front door lock as she could not get into the property. The landlord attended that evening to repair. Further work was completed on 12 September 2022. The repair records noted there was nothing wrong with the door and it did not need to be replaced.
An appointment for works to the kitchen on 19 September 2022 was cancelled by the landlord due to staff sickness. It was rebooked for and 23 November 2022.
The landlord provided its stage 1 response to the resident on 18 November 2022. It said the following:
1. The resident contacted the landlord on 2 February 2022 about the front door. It attended on 19 April 2022 and following a review of the information from the visit, works to overhaul the front door were completed. The resident reported an issue with the lock on 6 September 2022. The landlord attended within 24 hours and carried out a temporary repair. Follow on works to replace the locks were completed on 12 September 2022.
2. The resident reported issues with the kitchen on 2 February 2022. The landlord attended on 19 April 2022 to complete an assessment of the works. Follow on works were raised to overhaul a kitchen unit and replace the worktop. The work was completed on 19 July 2022. However, the worktop was the incorrect colour. A further appointment had been made for 23 November 2022.
3. In regard to the staircase, it raised an order on 2 February 2022. The landlord attended on 19 April 2022 and agreed follow on works for the replacement of 5 spindles to the staircase. The materials had been ordered and an appointment was booked for 23 November 2022 to complete the works.
4. The resident reported an issue with the radiator in the kitchen on 5 October 2021. The landlord assessed the works 21 October 2021 and reported for the replacement of 2 radiators and 5 TRVs. An appointment on 10 January 2022 was moved to an alternative date due to materials not being available. A new appointment was confirmed for 28 January 2022. This appointment also failed due to materials arriving damaged, preventing the works being carried out. The works were completed on 28 February 2022.
5. On 2 February 2022, the resident reported concerns about the boiler again. The landlord attended on 4 February 2022 and repaired the boiler. The landlord raised as order to attended within 5 workings days because the resident was not available for emergency attendance.
6. On 3 February 2022, the resident reported concerns with the water pressure to the sink and toilet. The landlord attended on 19 April 2022 and follow on works to replace the bath and pop-up waste were completed on 9 June 2022. No further issues with this had been reported.
7. It raised works on 2 February 2022 to the windows in the front room. The landlord attended on 19 April 2022 and work was raised for the glass to be replaced. The materials had been ordered and an appointment was booked for 23 November 2022 to complete the repair.
8. It was unable to find any information relating to a report of the fencing. Its complaints policy said it can only investigate concerns raised within 6 months of the complaint being received unless it could see residents were actively chasing the concerns.
9. It agreed for the damages to the dividing fences to be repaired on this occasion due to the damages being caused prior to the resident moving into the property. Any further concerns for dividing fences was a joint responsibility between residents to repair or replace.
10. It apologised for any inconvenience caused and offered the resident £350 goodwill. Broken down as:
  1. £150 or the time and trouble, inconvenience caused and delays.
  2. £150 for the delays in a response being offer for the complaint.
  3. £50 future impact for works to be completed 23 November 2022.
On 18 November 2022, the landlord raised a works order to repair the fence. The repair notes stated the landlord contacted the resident on 21 November 2022 and she confirmed the fence had now been repaired.
Works to the kitchen booked for 23 November 2022 were cancelled by the landlord due to staff sickness. An appointment was rebooked for 22 December 2022.
On 26 November 2022, the resident escalated her complaint. The resident said the following:
1. Her concerns dated back to 14 October 2021 and had been ignored.
2. The front door did not feel safe and secure, and the door frame was not replaced since the contractor forced entry on 24 August 2021. The glass in the door was not double glazed and could be accessed.
3. On 6 September 2022 the resident was unable to unlock the door. The landlord attended on this date and had been argumentative with the resident. A new lock was fitted on 12 September 2022.
4. 3 operatives attended on 4 July 2022 to a panel underneath the kitchen cupboard and a plug socket. The operatives investigated the jobs requested but no further work had been carried out since.
5. A new kitchen was installed prior to the resident moving into the property. The kitchen was unfinished, the cupboards were aligned incorrectly, the cupboard unearth the sink area was not build correctly, the resident was unable to open the fridge freezer when the kitchen door was open or open the cupboard under the sink unless the washing machine door was completely shut.
6. The landlord attended on 4 July 2022. On 19 July 2022 the landlord fitted the replacement countertop only. The countertop was incorrect and the resident now had 2 different countertops in the kitchen.
7. The resident contacted the landlord about the stairs on 14 October 2021, 17 October 2021 and 2 February 2022.
8. An operative attended to view works to the stairs on 19 April 2022. Repair jobs had been cancelled several times with the last cancellation on 23 November 2022.
9. The appointments rescheduled for the boiler and radiator repair were far apart. The resident reported this on 5 October 2021 and an operative attended on 21 October 2021. The cancellations on 1 December 2021, 10 January 2022, and 28 January 2022 caused her inconvenience as she had taken time of work.
10. 2 radiators were changed on 28 February 2022.
11. On 11 January 2022, she reported that the heating was coming on when switching the hot water on via the thermostat. The next day it seemed to stay off. The resident contacted the landlord the following day to advise she would call again if it was still happening.
12. On 2 February 2022 the resident contacted the landlord about the boiler. The resident called again the following day and was told it was not an emergency.
13. An operative attended on 4 February 2022 and identified the issue with the boiler.
14. The water pressure was still an issue and the landlord had not rectified this.
15. There was an ongoing issue with the fence repair. This was damaged and mentioned to the housing officer on the initial viewing of the property. The housing officer was unsure if the fence was the resident’s responsibility. The resident had not been provided with clarity on this.
16. The resident’s neighbour fixed the fence.
17. The offer of £350 compensation had not fully considered the length of time, trouble and inconvenience. The issues were ongoing since moving into the property, she had taken time off work for cancelled appointments, and future works had not been completed.
The landlord’s internal records showed the complaint was closed on 12 December 2022.
The landlord’s repair records showed a repair to the cracked window and the replacement of 5 spindles in the staircase and overhaul was completed on 15 December 2022.
On 19 December 2022, the resident emailed the landlord about her complaint. She said she wanted to add to her complaint that an operative attended on 15 December 2022 to fix the window, stairs and countertop. The window had been fixed but only 4 balustrades were replaced and 9 remined damaged. The countertop was incorrect and the poorly installed kitchen needed to be addressed. A further appointment had been made for 22 December 2022.
The resident followed up on her complaint escalation on 22 March 2023.
On 30 March 2023, the landlord acknowledged the resident’s request to escalate her complaint. It said it would aim to respond by 26 April 2023.
The resident emailed the landlord on 3 April 2023. The resident reported new issues which included mould to the bathroom ceiling, a large gap under the front door, further issues with the front door, and a draught from the back door.
The landlord emailed the resident on 15 April 2023. It said it needed further time to complete its complaint investigation. It said it aimed to respond by 19 May 2023.
On 25 May 2023, the landlord provided the resident with an update on her stage 2 complaint. It said it needed further time to complete the investigation and was aiming to respond on or before 9 June 2023. It stated the issues raised by the resident on 3 April 2023 had been passed to its customer service centre.
On 2 June 2023, the landlord raised a works order to inspect the kitchen units, front door and stair balustrades.
On 9 June 2023, the landlord issued its final response. It said the following:
1. Under normal circumstances its timescale for recording a complaint about an issue was within 6 months of the incident. On this occasion to gain understanding of the concerns raised, it had considered how the associated issues had been managed from 15 October 2021.
2. The front door and letterbox repairs were dealt with in a previous complaint. Repairs were completed in August and October 2021. The resident was offered £150 of compensation and the complaint was closed.
3. Further repairs were raised and the landlord overhauled the door on 19 April 2022. The landlord attended the property on 12 September 2022 and no repairs were required to the door.
4. The resident stated in an email on 3 April 2023 that the front door was draughty because there was a large gap at the bottom of the door. A repair appointment was arranged for 31 July 2023.
5. The resident stated in an email on 15 October 2021 there were several defects in the newly fitted kitchen. The landlord attended the property on 19 April 2022, 21 April 2022, 19 July 2022, 16 December 2022, and 23 December 2022 and completed the repairs.
6. It noted the comments in the resident’s email on 15 October 2021 about repairs to the stairs. The landlord attended on 19 April 2022 to assess the repair and works were completed on 16 December 2022.
7. In an email on 3 April 2023, the resident stated repairs to the stairs were still required. A repair appointment had been made for 31 July 2023.
8. In an email on 15 October 2021, the resident stated a radiator in the kitchen was loose from the wall. The landlord fitted 2 new radiators and 5 thermostatic valves on 28 February 2022.
9. The resident contacted the landlord on 28 January 2022 and was informed a boiler repair arranged for that day was cancelled. The landlord apologised for this. The works were completed on 7 February 2022.
10. In an email on 15 October 2021, the resident reported repairs to the bath, and low water pressure to the basin and toilet. It completed an inspection of the bath on 19 April 2022. It installed a replacement bath and pop-up waste to the basin on 9 June 2022.
11. On 2 February 2022, the resident reported a cracked window in the front room. The repairs were finalised on 16 December 2022.
12. In an email on 15 October 2021, the resident said a repair was required to the fence at the bottom of the garden. It contacted the resident about this on 21 November 2022 and was advised the neighbour who shared the fence had fixed this and a repair was no longer required.
13. It was clear that since the resident’s email on 15 October 2021, she experienced inconvenience and delays about this matter. It should have managed this better and it apologised for the impact this had.
14. The delays the resident experienced were attributed by the additional repairs, different contractors attending, and resource issues. This was not up to the standard it expected.
15. It updated the resident on a number of new issues raised which it stated did not form part of the complaint. This included:
  1. Mould on the bathroom ceiling.
  2. Back door and fence repairs.
  3. A six-week review in 2021.
16. There were delays to its stage 1 response. It was sorry and it had highlighted concerns about this to the relevant team to improve serve levels in the future. The resident was offered a goodwill gesture at stage 1 in recognition of the delays.
17. It apologised for the delay in its stage 2 response.
18. It apologised for its delayed response to the resident’s recent emails. This was due to an error made following annual leave in which it had overlooked responding.
19. The time taken to address the resident’s concerns was longer than expected. There were times when communication could have been improved and Covid-19 had also impacted this. It upheld the resident’s complaint about this.
20. It offered the resident a revised goodwill gesture of £1275, broken down as follows:
  1. £350 as offered at stage 1.
  2. £25 for the slight delay in acknowledgement.
  3. £150 for delays in sending the response and recent emails.
  4. £150 for the length of time the complaint had been on going.
  5. £100 as a future impact offer in relation to the front door and stairs repairs, appointments on 31 July 2023.
  6. £100 for unclear records in relation to a six-week review.
  7. £400 for the time & trouble caused.

Summary of events after the conclusion of the landlord’s complaint process.

The resident confirmed to this Service on 6 June 2023 that she remained dissatisfied with the landlord’s response. She said she reported repairs from 18 August 2021 and repairs were incomplete.
On 6 June 2023, the landlord raised repairs to a kitchen cupboard, and holes in the back of kitchen units. On this date, the landlord also inspected the front door
On 19 June 2023, the landlord emailed the resident. It said the toilet, back door, and fence repairs were not part of the original complaint. It asked the resident to report the toilet. It said the resident should have been contacted about appointments for the back door and fence repairs.
On 16 June 2023, the landlord’s repair records noted a further repair raised to the front door. The notes stated the door was unsecure. The repair was completed the same day. On the same day the resident advised this Service she had reported her front door due to a suspected burglary.
The resident emailed the landlord on 10 July 2023. She accepted the landlord’s offer of compensation. The resident said the toilet and fence were part of the original complaint. She said an operative attended on 3 July 2023 to the water pressure to the toilet and advised works would not be carried out due to the distance from the boiler.
On 18 July 2023 the landlord raised a repair to the water pressure in the downstairs toilet. An appointment was booked on 27 July 2023, and further works completed on 29 September 2023 to change the siphon on the toilet.
On 27 July 2023, the resident emailed the landlord. She said operatives attended on 13 July 2023 for the stairs, kitchen, wall damage and toilet. She said the repairs needed approval and she was no close to the works being completed.
On 3 August 2023, the landlord confirmed to this Service, a repair to the toilet was attended and a follow-on appointment for 22 September 2023 was booked.
On 3 October 2023, the resident emailed the landlord. She said the following:
1. The repairs supervisor had not visited or arranged an appointment.
2. On 21 September 2023, an operative attended and work was completed. Further work was required and the resident had not received an appointment.
3. An appointment scheduled for 22 September 2023 was cancelled on the day and rebooked for 27 September 2023.
4. Works were carried out on the toilet and the resident told a new pump may be needed if the situation did not improve.
5. There was an ongoing issue with the front door.
On 9 October 2023 the landlord raised a repair leak from the toilet. This was noted as completed on 19 October 2023.
The resident raised a further complaint to the landlord on 17 January 2024. This was about the front door remaining unsecure following a lock change in December 2023, a draft from the front and back door, an outstanding repair to the stairs, a leak from the toilet, slow drainage to the bath, water pressure, and damage to an outside cupboard door.
On 30 January 2024, the landlord provided a stage 1 response to a further complaint raised by the resident. This complaint was about repairs to the front door since August 2021, repair to the toilet, repairs to the stairs, and drainage issues. The landlord partially upheld the resident’s complaint.
On 5 February 2024, the landlord’s repair records noted it cancelled a further repair to the stair balustrades. It noted it had replaced some and it was not replacing any more.
The resident escalated her further complaint on 12 February 2024.
On 27 February 2024, the landlord’s repair records noted a repair to renew the front door lock, and install a draft excluder was completed. The landlord also completed a repair to the toilet on this date.
On 28 February 2024 a leak occurred when the landlord was repairing the toilet.

Assessment and findings

Scope of investigation.

In her submissions to the Ombudsman, the resident has referred to further issues which do not relate to the complaint under investigation. The Ombudsman cannot consider the complaints raised in the further complaint in January 2024. This includes the complaint about repairs to a leak from the toilet, further repairs to the front door lock, a draft to the front and back door, slow drainage to the bath, further concerns about the door lock, and the outside cupboard door.
In accordance with paragraph 42(a) of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme and the interest of fairness, the scope of this investigation is limited to the issues raised during the resident’s formal complaint in July 2022, addressed in the landlord’s final response on 9 June 2023. This is because the landlord needs to be given a fair opportunity to investigate and respond to any reported dissatisfaction with its actions prior to the involvement of this Service. Any new issues that have not been subject to a formal complaint can be addressed directly with the landlord and progressed as a new formal complaint if required.
In her complaint, the resident referred to the situation impacting upon her health. While this Service is able to assess the response the landlord provided, and any overall distress or inconvenience this may have caused, it is unable to draw conclusions on the causation of, or liability for, impacts on the resident’s health and wellbeing. However, the Ombudsman has considered the distress and inconvenience caused to the resident.

Policies, procedures & legal obligations.

The tenancy agreement says the landlord will maintain and keep in proper working order the structure and outside of the property, including outside doors window frames, not including any garden fences. The landlord is also responsible for the repair of internal walls floors and ceilings, doorframes, sinks, baths, toilets, and the heating and water heating equipment. The agreement says the landlord is not responsible for the repair or replacement of garden fences. The resident is responsible for keeping garden fences in good repair and to replace where necessary.
The landlord’s repairs and maintenance procedure says emergency repairs are to remove a serious threat to the heath tans safety of residents or structure of the property. The landlord will make safe the property within 24 hours of an emergency repair request. It will ai to complete nonemergency repairs within 28 days and at the appointment originally agreed with the resident. If an appointment time is changed, the service user will be contacted to agree an alternative appointment.
The landlord’s complaint procedure says where a complaint cannot be resolved at the first point of contact, or where concerns are reported in writing, it will acknowledge the complaint within 5 working days. The landlord will respond to stage 1 complaints within 10 working days and stage 2 complaints within 20 working days. Where it is not possible for a full response to be provided, the landlord will discuss this with the resident and agree an extension to the timescale for response.
The Complaint Handling Code sets out the Ombudsman’s expectations for landlords’ complaint handling practices. The Code states that a stage 1 response should be provided within 10 working days and a stage 2 response within 20 working days from the request to escalate. This should not exceed a further ten working days without good reason. The Code also states that landlords must address all points raised in the complaint and provide clear reasons for any decisions.

The landlord’s handling of the resident’s repair reports.

The front door.

The landlord confirmed in its final response that it addressed the resident’s concerns about the front door and letter box repairs in a previous complaint. This Service has not been provided with the landlord’s response to this complaint. The landlord stated repairs were completed in October 2021 and the resident received compensation in relation to this. Therefore, the landlord’s actions prior to the repair in October 2021 have not been considered during this investigation having been addressed in a previous complaint.
It was evident the resident raised further issues with the front door lock and the door frame on 2 February 2022. The landlord confirmed on 3 February 2022 that it raised a repair. In response to this report, the landlord’s repair records noted in overhauled the front door on 19 April 2022. It was evident the repair here was outside of the landlord’s 28-day timeframe in its repairs policy.
The resident reported a further repair to the front door lock on 6 September 2022. The landlord attend the same day to repair this. It returned on 12 September 2022 to complete a further repair. The landlord demonstrated that it attended to the repair report within 24 hours and returned to complete the further works within a rescannable timeframe.
No further reports of problems with the lock were noted between 19 April 2022 and 6 September 2022. This Service acknowledged that the multiple repairs to the front door caused distress and inconvenience to the resident. The landlord demonstrated that it responded appropriately to the emergency repair reports. However, it delayed in completing the overhauling of the door in April 2022 following the resident’s initial reports. This caused the resident further distress and inconvenience.

The installation of a new kitchen.

The resident raised her concerns about the kitchen units, kitchen spacing, the kitchen door and countertops in her email to the landlord on 14 October 2021. The landlord confirmed to the resident on 15 October 2021 that her concerns had been forwarded onto the repairs department. However, it was evident the repairs were not raised until 3 February 2022 following contact from the resident.
The landlord confirmed in its final response that it completed the repairs to the kitchen with the final repair appointment on 23 December 2022. This was a timescale of over 14 months from the resident first reporting the issues. This timescale was excessive.
The landlord’s repair records noted repairs raised on 2 June 2023 to the kitchen cupboards. This demonstrated the repairs continued after the final repair appointment on 23 December 2022. The landlord confirmed to this Service that all repairs have been completed to date. However, it was not clear when the repairs to the kitchen were completed. It was evident there were further delays here and the resident had to take the time and trouble to continue to follow up on this.
Following her initial report of repairs to the kitchen, the resident had to continue to raise her concerns about the kitchen in order for the work to be completed. The resident also had to endure a high number of repair appointments for this work to be completed. This caused her time, trouble and inconvenience.
It was evident repairs to the kitchen booked for 19 September 2022 and 23 November 2022 were cancelled. This caused the resident further inconvenience after facilitating a high number of repair appointments.

The stairs.

The resident first reported damage to the stair balustrades on 14 October 2021.It was evident the landlord did not raise a repair until 3 February 2022. The landlord attended on 19 April 2022 to assess the repair. The landlord’s repair records showed it completed the replacement of 5 spindles on 15 December 2022.
The landlord said in its final response that a further repair had been raised for 31 July 2022 in response to the resident’s email on 3 April 2023 stating further repairs were required. However, the resident told the landlord on 19 December 2022 that only part of the repair was completed. The landlord missed the opportunity here to pick up the outstanding repair earlier. As such, the repair to the damaged balustrades was delayed further.
The landlord confirmed in its final response that a repair appointment for the stairs was booked for 31 July 2023. It was not clear from the evidence provided to this Service when this repair was fully completed. However, it is evident the resident experienced a delay to the completion of this repair, and the landlord did not retain an oversight of the repair. As a result of its failures here, the resident had to take the time and trouble to follow up with landlord.

A radiator in the kitchen.

The resident reported an issue with the radiator in the kitchen on 14 October 2021. The landlord confirmed in its final response that a routine order was raised and 2 new radiators were fitted on 28 February 2022. This was a timeframe of over 4 months. This did not meet the timescales in the landlord’s repairs procedure. The landlord did not complete this repair within a reasonable timeframe.

Low water pressure in the bathroom.

The resident reported the issue of low water pressure in her bathroom in an email on 14 October 2021. The landlord raised repairs to the water pressure on 3 February 2022. The landlord’s final response refers to repairs to the bath and pop-up waste that were completed. However, it does not address the resident’s concerns about the water pressure. In her complaint on 19 July 2022, the resident said the water pressure in the sink and toilet were low. In her complaint escalation on 26 November 2022, the resident said this issue was still outstanding.
Following the end of the complaints process, the landlord told the resident the issue with the toiler was not part of the original complaint and advised her to report this. However, the resident did raise the matter of low water pressure to the toilet in her complaint on 19 July 2022.
The landlord failed to investigate this issue thoroughly during the complaints process. As such it missed the opportunity to address this for the resident sooner. As a result, the resident continued to report the low water pressure to the landlord. The landlord’s actions here delayed the repair further for the resident.

Repairs to the boiler.

The resident reported an issue with the boiler to the landlord on 11 January 2022. The resident contacted the landlord the same day to confirm the boiler was working. The resident contacted the landlord on 2 February 2022 to report the problems with the boiler. The landlord’s records noted a repair was completed on 4 February 2022. The landlord completed this repair within a rescannable timeframe.
The landlord acknowledged in its final response that an appointment on 28 January 2022 regarding the boiler was cancelled without notice. This caused the resident further inconvenience.

Window repairs.

The landlord stated the resident reported the cracked window on 2 February 2022. The repair was completed on 16 December 2022. This was a timeframe of over 10 months. This did not meet the timescales in the landlord’s repairs procedure. The landlord did not provide reasons for the delay in its final response. While this Service acknowledge that window repairs can take additional time, the timeframe here was excessive.

Fencing repairs.

The resident reported the fence at the bottom of the back garden was broken to the landlord on 14 October 2021. She raised this again in February 2022. In its stage 1 response, the landlord agreed to replace the fence due to the damage being caused prior to the resident moving in. The landlord advised that further concerns about the dividing fences were a joint responsibility of the resident and neighbour. The information in the landlord’s response was reasonable and in line with the tenancy agreement.
The landlord’s response was delayed. It was evident the resident raised this issue on moving in and again in October 2021. The landlord took over a year to respond to the resident on this. The landlord failed to respond within a reasonable timeframe. The resident confirmed to the landlord in November 2022, that a neighbour had repaired the fence and work was not required.
The resident raised further concerns about the fence on the left-hand side of the garden in April 2023. The landlord confirmed to the resident on 19 June 2023 that the further repairs to the fence were not part of the complaint. This was a reasonable response from the landlord. The evidence provided to this Service shows the original complaint referred to the bottom fence only.

Conclusion regarding the multiple repair issues at the property.

The Ombudsman expects a landlord to handle repairs, for which it is responsible, appropriately by completing them in a reasonable time and providing regular communication and updates to the resident about the works. Where repair work is overdue, residents should receive regular updates clearly explaining the reasons for delay and the expected date of completion. It was evident this did not happen following the resident’s reports of repairs.
The landlord acknowledged in its final response that the resident had experienced inconvenience and delays following her email on 14 October 2021. It said this was due to additional repairs by different contractors, and resources within its maintenance team.
To provide a fair response, landlords are expected to resolve complaints by addressing both the main issue raised and any inconvenience that happened. When a landlord agrees that it failed to provide a service, the expectation is for the landlord to offer redress. The landlord acknowledged its delays here in completing repairs. The landlord attempted to resolve the substantive complaint relating to the multiple repair issues through an offer of compensation of £700. This included £50 at stage 1 for the future impact of works, £100 at stage 2 for the future impact of works, £150 for the inconvenience caused and the delays, and £400 for the time and trouble caused.
While the offer of redress made by the landlord showed good practice in trying to resolve complaints and learn from outcomes, the compensation did not go far enough to account for the delays here. It was noted the compensation included an amount for the future impact on works to the stairs and front door. However, it was not clear when this work was completed. The resident had to continue to follow up with the landlord regarding the water pressure and the kitchen. The delays had a detrimental impact on the resident’s enjoyment of her home.
In summary, the resident experienced delays to the repairs she reported to the landlord. While the landlord attended to the repairs to the boiler within a reasonable timeframe, the remainder of the repairs were delayed. It was evident the landlord did not action the repairs raised by the resident on 14 October 2021 and then failed to keep an oversight of these once raised. As a result, the resident had to take the time and trouble to continue to chase up the repairs. She also experienced the distress and inconvenience of facilitating a high number of repair appointments, including cancelled appointments.
The landlord attempted to put this right through an offer of compensation. However, this was not enough to account for its full failures here. As such, there was maladministration in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s repair reports. A further amount of £250 of compensation has been ordered. This takes into account the length of time, the impact on the resident’s enjoyment of the property and the inconvenience of having to chase and complain to the landlord during this time. This was proportionate to the distress and inconvenience caused and was in accordance with the Ombudsman’s own Remedies guidance.

The landlord’s complaint handling.

The resident raised her complaint on 19 July 2022. The landlord provided its stage 1 response on 18 November 2022. This was a timeframe of 87 working days. This did not meet the timescales in the landlord’s complaints procedure or the Code.
The landlord acknowledged the complaint on 21 July 2022. There was no evidence of the landlord providing an update to the resident on the delay to its response. The landlord did not follow its complaints procedure here. As a result, the resident had to take the time and trouble to follow up with the landlord on her complaint.
The resident escalated her complaint on 26 November 2022. The landlord provided the resident with its final response on 9 June 2023. This was a timeframe of 132 working days. The delay here was excessive.
It was evident the landlord had not taken a proactive approach in keeping the resident updated. It was noted the landlord contacted the resident on 15 April 2023 to confirm its response would be delayed, and again on 25 May 2023. However, by this time, its response was already significantly delayed. As a result, the resident had to take the time and trouble to continue to follow up with the landlord. The landlord did not demonstrate a customer focused approach.
The landlord failed to acknowledge the resident’s escalation within a reasonable timeframe. The resident’s escalation request was not actioned until she contacted the landlord to chase it up on 22 March 2023. The landlord closed the complaint in error in December 2022. This demonstrated a poor oversight of the complaint.
The landlord’s delays in responding at both stages resulted in a protracted complaints process for the resident. It delayed a resolution for the resident. It also delayed her access to this Service.
In its final response, the landlord acknowledged its failures in its complaint handing. The landlord demonstrated it investigated its complaint handling and identified the errors it made in overlooking the resident’s correspondence. It said this was due to annual leave. This demonstrated the landlord taking learning from the complaint. The landlord also acknowledged its communication could have been improved.
The landlord attempted to put things right for the resident through an offer of compensation. £475 of this has been considered to be in relation to complaint handling. Broken down as £150 for the delay is in the stage 1 response, £25 for the delay in acknowledging the complaint, £150 for delays to the stage 2 response and recent emails about this, and £150 for the length of time the complaint was ongoing. This offer of compensation showed good practice in the landlord attempting to put things right for the resident and learn from outcomes. It demonstrated the landlord recognised the impact of its failures on the resident and the overall time of the complaint period. It also accounted for the time and trouble taken by the resident over an extended period to receive a response to her complaint.
Overall, the landlord’s complaint handling took too long and did not follow the complaints policy. The landlord delayed its complaint responses at both stages and overlooked the resident’s complaint escalation. The resident had to continue to contact the landlord in order to receive a response. This resulted in a protracted complaints process for the resident, both delaying the resolution and her access to an investigation by the Service.
The landlord acknowledged its failures here. The compensation offered to the resident was in line with the Ombudsman’s remedies guidance where a failure as adversely affected a resident. Therefore, the £475 offered by the landlord in recognition of its complaint handling failures, was reasonable redress.

Determination (decision)

In accordance with paragraph 52 of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, there was maladministration in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s repair reports.
In accordance with paragraph 53(b) of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, there was reasonable redress in respect of the landlord’s complaint handling.

Reasons

The landlord did not complete the repairs to the resident’s property within a reasonable timeframe.
The landlord failed to raise works following the initial reports by the resident and failed to retain an oversight of the repairs through to completion.
The landlord acknowledged its failures and attempted to put things right through its offer of compensation. However, this was not enough to reflect the full impact of its failures on the resident.
The landlord’s complaint responses were delayed. The landlord failed to escalate the resident’s complaint appropriately. This resulted in a protracted complaints process and delayed the resolution for the resident. The landlord acknowledged its failures and offered redress.

Orders and recommendations

Orders.

The Ombudsman orders the landlord to apologise in writing to the resident for the failings identified in this report.
The Ombudsman orders the landlord to pay the resident compensation of £1525. This amount includes the £1275 offered during the complaints process. Compensation not already paid, should be paid directly to the resident, and not offset against any arrears. The compensation comprises of:
1. £950 for the distress, and inconvenience caused by the landlord’s response to the resident’s repair reports.
2. £100 as previously offered in relation to the 6 week review.
3. £475 as previously offered for the inconvenience, time and trouble caused by the landlord’s poor complaint handling.
The landlord is to provide evidence of compliance with the above orders to this Service within four weeks of the date of this report.

Recommendation.

The landlord should review its staff training needs in regard to the importance of communicating with residents throughout the repair process.