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Amplius Living (202303316)

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REPORT

COMPLAINT 202303316

Longhurst Group Limited

20 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:
    1. The landlord’s handling of repairs to the communal floor area.
    2. The availability of the Scheme Manager.

Background

  1. The resident is a leaseholder of the property, a 2-bedroom flat and lives there with her partner. The resident pays a service charge that includes the provision of a Scheme Manager.
  2. In February and April 2022, the resident contacted the landlord to request a meeting with the Scheme Manager. On 13 July 2022 the resident complained to the landlord that the Scheme Manager had not been attending the property, and she had been unable to contact them by phone.
  3. The landlord issued its stage 1 complaint response on 3 August 2022. It said:
    1. The Scheme Manager often needed to carry out administrative tasks in a private environment and as there was not a suitable place to do this at the property, they had to do this elsewhere.
    2. It apologised the resident was unable to contact the Scheme Manager by phone and asked for the dates and times of calls so it could investigate the matter further.
  4. The resident escalated her complaint with the landlord on 17 August 2022. She also complained that she had reported loose floor tiles in the communal hallway the previous week that had not been repaired.
  5. The landlord issued its stage 2 complaint response on 7 October 2022. It apologised for the time taken to investigate the matter and said:
    1. It had arranged a meeting for all residents to discuss their concerns regarding the Scheme Manager’s availability and attendance at the property.
    2. The resident had not provided dates and times of calls to the Scheme Manager that were not responded to, and it was unable to investigate the matter further.
    3. The repairs to the flooring needed to be inspected by a surveyor and it apologised for the length of time it had taken to arrange this.
    4. It offered the resident £250 compensation for the delay in its response and the issues the resident had experienced.
  6. The resident made a further complaint to the landlord on 8 December 2022, regarding the communal flooring. She stated that the floor had not been repaired and posed more of trip hazard than before.
  7. The landlord issued its stage 1 complaint response on 22 September 2023. It apologised for the service the resident had received and stated that the flooring had been repaired that month. The landlord offered the resident £150 compensation for the delay in responding and the time and trouble caused.
  8. On 4 October 2023 the resident escalated her complaint with the landlord. She stated the new flooring had started to lift and was causing a further trip hazard.
  9. The landlord issued its stage 2 complaint response on 18 October 2023 and apologised for the level of service received. The landlord stated further repairs would take place to the communal flooring and offered the resident a further £150 compensation for delays to resolving her complaint.
  10. The resident remained dissatisfied and brought the complaint to this Service. She said that while the repairs have since been completed satisfactorily, the landlord did not acknowledge distress and inconvenience caused from living with the hazard for a prolonged period of time.

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 19 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 24 February 2025, the landlord provided this Service with evidence that it had acted on the Ombudsman’s provisional comments which would involve paying the resident a further £700 compensation.
  2. The resident has informed the Ombudsman that she is satisfied with this as a resolution to his 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.