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London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham (202319095)

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REPORT

COMPLAINT 202319095

Hammersmith and Fulham Council

28 March 2025


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

  1. The complaint is regarding the landlord’s handling of repairs at the property.

Background and summary of events

  1. The resident was a secure tenant of a ground floor flat from April 2023 to July 2024.
  2. On 12 May 2023 the resident emailed the landlord. He raised several repair issues at the property.
  3. The resident complained to the landlord on 7 June 2023. He said the repairs were still outstanding. The landlord acknowledged the complaint on 9 June 2023.
  4. The landlord sent its stage 1 complaint response to the resident on 6 July 2023. It offered £150 compensation for the delays in completing repairs and replying to the complaint. The resident declined the offer on 11 July 2023. He asked for the complaint to be escalated.
  5. On 21 September 2023 the landlord sent its stage 2 complaint response to the resident. It offered a further £475 compensation for delays in dealing with repairs and replying to the complaint. It said its contractor would attend on 6 October 2023 to start work on the remaining repairs. The overall compensation offer of £625 was not paid to the resident as he did not provide his bank details. 
  6. The resident contacted the Ombudsman on 9 October 2023. He said he remained dissatisfied with the landlord’s handling of his complaint.
  7. The landlord’s records show took several months to carry out the repairs. It confirmed on 2 May 2024 that all repairs had been completed.

Assessment and findings

  1. Paragraph 53.c. of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme states that, “the Ombudsman may determine the investigation of a complaint immediately if satisfied that the member has made an offer of redress following the Ombudsman’s intervention which, in the Ombudsman’s opinion, resolves the complaint satisfactorily.”

The Ombudsman’s intervention

  1. We spoke to the resident on 18 March 2025 and discussed his complaint. He said he was seeking an increased compensation amount due to the further delays in completing the repairs.

The landlord’s offer of redress

  1. We contacted the landlord on 18 March 2025 and provided it with a summary of our understanding of the events. This included our provisional comments as to what the landlord could do to resolve the resident’s complaint. Following that the landlord offered to make:
    1. The £625 compensation offered during its internal complaints process.
    2. An apology for the delays in completing the repairs after its stage 2 complaint response.
    3. £300 compensation for the delays in completing the repairs after its stage 2 complaint response.
  2. The resident informed us on 25 March 2025 he was satisfied with this as a resolution to his complaint.
  3. The landlord sent its apology letter to the resident on 26 March 2025 and asked him for his bank details to make the overall £925 compensation payment.
  4. The Ombudsman is therefore satisfied, following the intervention of this Service, that the landlord has now taken actions to remedy the matters raised which resolve the complaint satisfactorily. 

Determination

  1. In accordance with paragraph 53.c. of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, the landlord has made an offer of redress, following the Ombudsman’s intervention which, in the Ombudsman’s opinion, resolves the complaint satisfactorily.