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Amplius Living (202216778)

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REPORT

COMPLAINT 202216778

Longhurst Group Limited

24 February 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 about the landlord’s handling of repairs at the property.

 Background

  1. The resident is an assured tenant of the property, a 3-bed house, since 2016. She lives at the property with her husband and daughter. The landlord is aware the resident’s daughter has vulnerabilities.
  2. Between 10 August and 5 November 2021 the resident raised repairs to the landlord. These included repairs for damp and mould, a fault with the shower and windows at the property.
  3. The resident complained to the landlord on 21 January 2022. She said she had raised concerns with the damp and mould at the property several times. The resident said she felt the house had been neglected by the landlord.
  4. On 7 March 2022 the landlord replied to the resident at stage 1 of its internal complaints process. It said the following:
    1. During a visit the landlord had identified “several areas of work” at the resident’s property.
    2. It was in the process of getting a second quote for all the repairs needed.
    3. The landlord offered the resident £100 compensation for the delayed shower repair and its lack of maintenance of her property.
  5. The resident escalated her complaint on 22 September 2022. She said she was still unhappy with the repairs at the property.
  6. Between 2 April 2023 and 10 May 2023, the resident was decanted from her property by the landlord. During this time the landlord completed major repairs to the property including new windows, new doors, damp treatment and plasterwork.
  7. The landlord inspected the property on 15 July 2023 and identified multiple follow-on repairs. On 31 July 2023 it replied to the resident at stage 2 of its internal complaints process. The landlord said the following:
    1. The sealing of the windows and doors would be completed within 14 weeks.
    2. A repair for the extractor fan was booked in for 27 September 2023.
    3. All follow on works would be monitored until completion.
    4. £1,950 compensation to be paid to the resident, broken down as:
      1. £150 for complaint handling failures.
      2. £350 for delays to the kitchen repairs.
      3. £250 communication failures.
      4. £200 for the resident to decorate.
      5. £1,000 for the distress, upset and inconvenience caused to the resident.
  8. The resident brought her complaint to this Service. She said the follow-on repairs at her property were due to be completed on 14 February 2025.

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. This service contacted the landlord on 12 February 2025 and provided it with a summary of the Ombudsman’s understanding of the events. This included the Ombudsman’s provisional comments as to what the landlord could do to resolve the resident’s complaint.

The landlord’s offer of redress

  1. On 18 February 2025 the landlord provided this Service with evidence that it had acted on the Ombudsman’s provisional comments and paid the resident a further £200 compensation.
  2. The resident has informed the Ombudsman that she is content with this as a resolution to her complaint.
  3. 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.