REPORT

COMPLAINT 202317518

Colchester City Council

19 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 about the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of:
   1. Damp and mould in her property.
   2. Unacceptable staff conduct.
   3. Her request for reasonable adjustments.
   4. Unannounced visits from contractors to carry out works.
   5. The condition of her property, following a decant, including repairs to the heating system and damage to her carpet and sofa.
2. The Ombudsman has also considered the landlord’s complaint handling.

Background

3. The resident is a secure tenant of the landlord. The landlord is a local council. This is a one-bedroom ground floor flat. There are multiple resident vulnerabilities on file, including physical disabilities, poor mental health and neurodiversity.
4. The resident told us that she reported damp and mould in her property approximately 5 years ago. The landlord’s repair logs show that the resident first raised problems with damp and mould in her bedroom and living room on 13 January 2022. The landlord inspected the damp and mould issues on 16 February 2022.
5. The resident called the landlord on 23 September 2022 and 3 November 2022 to chase up works for the damp and mould. She said that a contractor had visited her in the last month, and she was told there were going to be extensive works done, but she had not heard back from the landlord. There is no record of this visit on the landlord’s repair or communication logs.
6. On 1 December 2022, the resident called the landlord, together with her support worker, asking to make a complaint about the damp and mould. She said she had heard nothing back from the landlord. She asked for a letter in response to her complaint, as she sometimes found it difficult to speak on the phone.
7. The landlord called the resident on 6 February 2023, to discuss the damp works. It told the resident that her front wall needed works as well as a damp proof course. It said that it would need to do lots of drilling and plasterwork. The resident confirmed that she would give access to these areas. The landlord raised an order for the damp works on 9 February 2023.
8. The landlord’s housing officer visited the resident on 6 March 2023 to inform her that she would be getting a new housing officer. The housing officer said that information regarding damp works would be passed on to the new officer.
9. On 4 April 2023 the new housing officer spoke to the resident to tell her it would arrange a temporary move during the works. It called her again on 13 April 2023 to say that works would start on 17 April 2023. It also told her it had booked 2 nights hotel accommodation for 17 and 18 April 2023 and gave her the details for check in. The resident called the landlord back on 14 April 2023 to say that she was neurodiverse and had other vulnerabilities and had not understood the information. She asked the landlord to call her support worker back with the information. The landlord called the support worker on 17 April 2023.
10. On 14 April 2023 the landlord’s contractor attended the resident’s property to temporarily remove the radiators before the damp proofing took place. The resident said that she had not been told about this contractor visit.
11. The works started on 17 April 2023 and the resident checked in to the hotel on this date.
12. The resident called the landlord on 19 April 2023 to see if the works were completed but was told the works were still ongoing. She asked if her hotel stay would be extended, and this was agreed by the landlord. It agreed to pay for the night of 19 April 2023.
13. On 19 April 2023, the resident was told that works would not be completed prior to her return home on 20 April 2023 as no plasterers were available. She went to her property on 19 April, together with her support worker to get some personal items for her additional night at the hotel. She said that there were bags of concrete on the floor, blocking access to areas of her flat. She provided us and the landlord with photographs of this.
14. On 20 April 2023, the landlord agreed to also pay for that night at the hotel. The resident says that she was not given a timeframe for the works to be completed.
15. On 21 April 2023 the landlord told the resident she had to go back home, and it would not extend her stay any further. On returning home, the resident noted that her phone and internet were disconnected and there was no heating as the radiators had been removed. Also, she said she could not access her bed, her belongings were not put back in their original position and there were many trip hazards, dust, metal accessories and building remnants left on the floor and furniture. She also found rusty nails in her bedding. The resident’s support worker called the landlord on the same day, and it reconnected her telephone and internet.
16. On 2 May 2023 the landlord raised jobs for electrical works in the bedroom and living room (wiring in trunking) and for the skirting board to be renewed. It also raised jobs for a mould patch to be treated and to apply a mould wash.
17. On 3 June 2023 the resident made a stage 1 complaint to the landlord. She said:
    1. She had reported black mould to the landlord over 5 years ago and was given vouchers to paint over this. It did not resolve the problem, and the mould returned. She reported this but the landlord took no action for many years.
    2. She tried to raise a complaint in 2021/2022 but had heard nothing back. When she followed this up, she was told her flat was “too cluttered” for the works to be carried out and that her housing officer should have told her this.
    3. She tried to call the landlord on 31 March 2023 to get a date for the start of works but could not get through so left a message.
    4. Once her new housing officer confirmed that mould works would be carried out to the property, they were initially unsure if the landlord would provide hotel accommodation during the works. This lack of clarity made her very overwhelmed and exacerbated her conditions.
    5. The landlord confirmed that remedial mould works would begin on 17 April 2023, but she was not informed that anyone would be attending on 14 April 2023 to remove her radiators.
    6. She had to provide her own dust sheets to the landlord’s contractor when it started works on 17 April 2023.
    7. She was not told how long the damp and mould works would take, despite both her and her support worker asking the landlord.
    8. When she checked into the hotel, she found out that the landlord had not told the hotel staff that she needed a room with a shower, due to her disabilities. This was despite discussing it with the landlord, prior to the booking.
    9. On 19 April 2023, when she was told the works were ongoing, she asked if the hotel accommodation would be extended and had to check out of the hotel whilst the landlord made a decision.
    10. On 20 April 2023 when she returned to the property to pick up some belongings, she saw bags of concrete in the bedroom, blocking access to her bed and one side of the room. The furniture had been rearranged blocking access to her flat.
    11. On 21 April 2023, when the landlord told her she had to return to the flat, nothing had been returned to its original position, the flat was not accessible, it was full of dust, and she could not access her bed and wardrobe. Also, her phone and internet were disconnected and there was no heating as the radiators had been removed.
    12. Although the landlord reinstated the telephone and internet the same day, her support worker had to move furniture to make it accessible so the resident could reach her bed.
    13. She spoke to the landlord on 25 April 2023 and 26 April 2023 to chase the progress of works and was not given a definitive answer.
    14. She felt that her housing officer was inappropriate and there was a “lack of communication, compassion and understanding.” She wanted an investigation and a new housing officer as she felt the housing officer lacked awareness of her neurodiversity.
    15. The works started over a month ago and her flat was still in a “chaotic state,” with trip hazards, which she could not navigate with crutches.
    16. She had no heating, no television (TV) reception and rusty metal parts on her belongings.
    17. The situation had impacted on her mental and physical health.
18. On 5 June 2023, the landlord raised a job to repair the TV arial connection in the property. This was completed on 16 June 2023.
19. The landlord acknowledged the resident’s complaint on 6 June 2023.
20. On 8 June 2023, it scheduled works to re-fix her radiators and check for any possible leaks
21. On 16 June 2023 the landlord responded to the resident’s stage 1 complaint. It said:
    1. Due to the extent of the works and the restricted space to work in, it had to move her to alternative accommodation whilst works took place. It appreciated this was not ideal but felt this was the best approach.
    2. Once works were completed, it found that the render on the walls was thicker than it had first thought, so this added time to the job.
    3. It apologised that the contractor did not leave the resident’s home in an acceptable condition. It would address this in the future and offered the resident £250 compensation for inconvenience.
    4. It had asked the housing officer to assist with the resident’s repair issues as it had agreed to move the resident to a hotel whilst the most invasive works were done. The landlord did not normally move residents when these works were carried out, but it made an exception due to the resident’s health issues. It had agreed to four nights hotel accommodation as the works had been extended.
    5. The repairs team had said that the property was habitable, and the housing officer was not responsible for the timeline or standard of repairs. The landlord relied on the contractors’ updates.
    6. It apologised that the resident felt “let down” by her housing officer and had arranged for an alternative member of staff to be involved, and to be the resident’s point of contact during the repairs.
    7. It had reconnected her internet and telephone and resolved the access issues to her furniture on the same day she reported this.
22. The landlord repaired the resident’s TV ariel on 16 June 2023.
23. The landlord’s contractor attended on 19 June 2023 to re-fix the radiators. It also noted a leak on this date. On 27 June 2023, the landlord raised another repair to remove and refix a kitchen unit to check for possible leaks on the heating pipe.
24. The resident raised a stage 2 complaint on 28 June 2023, to which she added on 4 July 2023. She said:
    1. The landlord had not acknowledged the negative impact caused by the housing officer.
    2. Contractors continued to attend unannounced, including the day she was due to go on holiday (and the landlord was aware of her holiday dates).
    3. Her TV was still not working, she had no radiators and the landlord’s contractors had caused a serious leak during works, which damaged the carpet. The cause of the leak had not yet been identified.
    4. The works were still ongoing, and the contractors had left a mess.
    5. The landlord had misunderstood her complaint regarding the decant. She had been happy to go into hotel accommodation and this was something she had asked for. It was the landlord’s indecisiveness and the fact that she had to return to her home that was the issue.
    6. She had asked for the mould repairs to be completed years ago. The situation was causing significant harm and was exacerbating her mental health and had financial implications too.
    7. The flat was not accessible on her return from the hotel. It had numerous health and safety hazards and there was no heating.
    8. The landlord had not accommodated her complex multiple needs. It had not made the reasonable adjustments that her support workers had suggested.
25. She asked the landlord to do the following:
    1. Increase accessibility to telephone calls due to her individual needs.
    2. Provide enough notice before scheduling appointments.
    3. Update her regarding the progress of the works and to complete the works.
26. The landlord acknowledged the resident’s stage 2 complaint on 3 July 2023.
27. On 24 July 2023, the landlord and resident agreed an extension date to the landlord’s stage 2 response. The new agreed response due date was 10 August 2023.
28. The landlord called the resident and visited her to discuss her concerns. It provided the stage 2 response on 7 August 2023. It said the following:
    1. It upheld her complaint. It apologised for the poor communication and poor planning of works. It offered £500 compensation (£250 from its stage 1 response and a further £250). It would address the replacement of the living room carpet when the works were completed.
    2. Its communication should have been better for this complex project.
    3. It should have had further discussions to clear up the communication issues with the housing officer.
    4. It should have given clear dates for the completion of the works.
    5. It should have understood the resident’s needs.
    6. It did not process the resident’s enquiry to its expected service standards.
    7. To support the resident, it had called her at agreed times with the resident’s support worker being available.
    8. It had agreed to assign a different housing officer to the resident. It apologised for the poor communication and said it was not the standard it expected from its officers.
    9. It was raising awareness of support and personal issues that staff would need to know of. It was putting flags on the resident’s record to ensure contractors limited their calls to the resident.
    10. The TV was working again.
    11. Its contractors were planned to visit on 29 August 2023 to repair the leaking pipework. Once this was completed they would refix the radiators and test they were working. Once these works were completed, it would call the resident to address the replacement of the living room carpet.

After the internal complaints procedure

29. The resident contacted the Ombudsman on 14 August 2023, together with her support worker. She said the damage to the carpet from her water leak was getting worse, as well as her furniture and electrics. She was unhappy with the resolution as her sofa had also been damaged and she had been trying to contact the landlord’s complaints team since. She had not been able to get through. Also, the works were still ongoing. She wanted help with the situation as this was having a detrimental effect on her mental health and she also wanted additional financial compensation.
30. The landlord’s contractor repaired the leaking pipework and replaced the living room radiators on 29 August 2023.

Scope of Investigation

31. The resident has told us that her sofa was damaged by the works and the leak. While we empathise with the resident, there is no evidence on file that the resident raised this or raised a complaint about this with the landlord. We are unable to investigate complaints that have not exhausted the landlord’s complaints procedure. As such, we will not be able to investigate this. We would advise the resident to raise this with the landlord in the first instance.
32. The resident said that the handling of this matter by the landlord has led to a deterioration in her health. Whilst we appreciate the resident’s concerns, the Ombudsman cannot draw conclusions on the causation of, or liability for impacts on health and wellbeing. This is outside our jurisdiction, but consideration has been given to the general distress and inconvenience that may have been caused to the resident.

Assessment and findings

The landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of damp and mould in her property

33. The landlord is obliged to comply with Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Housing, Health and Safety Rating System 2006 (HHRS) as well as the Equality Act 2010 and other relevant legislation.
34. It is responsible for the structure of the building, including brickwork, plaster and skirting boards and windows and doors. It is also responsible for water, heating and pipework.
35. Its repairs policy says that if a resident is vulnerable, it may authorise service variations if the fault has a negative impact on the reported condition. It may also offer extra assistance.
36. It has the following repair timeline:
    1. Emergency repairs will be attended to within 4 hours and made safe and completed within 24 hours.
    2. Urgent repairs will be attended to within 3 working days and completed within 5 working days.
    3. Routine repairs will be attended to within 5 working days and completed within 20 working days.
    4. Major works will be completed within 4 months of issuing this to contractors.
    5. Some works will need a pre-inspection to establish the extent of the works. Staff will always advise residents where this is the case. Repairs will be issued in appropriate timescales or programmed into planned or batch works.
37. The landlord’s damp and mould policy from May 2023 says that it will treat all damp and mould seriously and understands it can have an impact on mental and physical health.
38. It goes on to say that it is responsible for maintaining the structure of properties to avoid penetrating and rising damp and to carry out remedial works if these occur. It will respond to reports of damp and mould within 30 days and aims to complete the works within 90 days. It says that where internal conditions within a home (for example excessive hoarding of personal belongings) are affecting the health and well-being of the resident, it will provide support and assistance. If it is deemed unsafe for residents to remain in the property while works are carried out, alternative accommodation arrangements will be made. This may be on a day-to-day basis or a temporary decant to an alternative property.
39. Although the landlord’s damp and mould policy was not in force until May 2023, there were still unreasonable delays between when the resident first reported the issue and when the landlord commenced works. The resident reported damp and mould on 13 January 2022 and the landlord inspected the property on 16 February 2022. It is inappropriate that the landlord did not commence works until 17 April 2023.
40. The Housing, Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) classes damp and mould as a category 1 hazard. This Service’s spotlight report on damp and mould, published in October 2021, states that landlords should adopt a zero-tolerance approach to damp and mould interventions. It further states that landlords should ensure that their responses to reports of damp and mould should reflect the urgency of the issues.
41. It is not reasonable that the resident had to chase these works from January 2022 to February 2023. The landlord did not raise damp and mould works until 9 February 2023 and the works did not commence until 17 April 2023. This is 15 months after the resident first reported the issue and significantly outside of the landlord’s repair timescales for major works. This caused the resident distress and inconvenience, time and trouble in pursuing the issue and had a severe impact on the enjoyment of her home.
42. Further, the landlord did not abide by its repairs policy, in respect of vulnerable residents. It was aware of the resident’s vulnerabilities but made no attempt to carry out the works sooner and there is no evidence that it tried to support the resident prior to the works starting. This is not resident focussed and caused the resident further distress and anxiety.
43. We acknowledge that the landlord acted reasonably by moving the resident to a hotel during the works. However, once there, it did not give regular updates about the length of the stay. It also did not consider extending the resident’s stay at the hotel beyond the night of 20 April 2023, when it was aware of her multiple complex needs and the adverse effect the disruption would have on her. This is a failing and caused the resident significant distress and inconvenience.
44. Although the landlord has now completed the damp and mould repairs, the resident waited too long. The repairs were not completed until August 2023. This is an unreasonable delay which had a significant adverse effect on the resident.
45. As such, a finding of maladministration is made, along with orders for redress. We will not be making any orders regarding policy changes, as the landlord has a damp and mould policy in effect from May 2023.

The landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of unacceptable staff conduct

46. The landlord’s staff code of conduct policy says that staff should treat everyone with respect, recognising diversity and inclusion as an asset so that everyone feels valued, and their needs respected.
47. There is no dispute that the landlord’s staff did not always abide by its staff code of conduct policy. In its stage 2 complaint response, the landlord has acknowledged its failings and the communication issues. It has apologised for the issues and raised awareness of the resident’s individual circumstances by putting a flag on her account. It has also offered £250 compensation for the issues experienced by the resident. Further, it has allocated the resident a new housing officer (although the resident advises us that she has not been given the name or contact details).
48. As such, a finding of reasonable redress is made, in respect of the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of unacceptable staff conduct.

The landlord’s handling of the resident’s report of her request for reasonable adjustments

49. The landlord’s repairs policy says that it may make service variations for vulnerable residents if a fault has a negative effect on the resident. It may offer extra assistance and special arrangements that will meet the needs of the resident.
50. The landlord did not always communicate with the resident in the ways that were appropriate for her needs. There is no dispute that there were failings in the way the landlord communicated with the resident and dealt with her specific needs. The landlord has acknowledged and apologised for this and put a flag on her record to ensure that there is not a repeat of these failings. It has also said that it is looking at ways to help its staff and contractors to raise awareness of support and personal issues.
51. As such, a finding of reasonable redress is made for the landlord’s handling of the resident’s report of her request for reasonable adjustments.

The landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of unannounced contractor visits to carry out works

52. The landlord’s repairs policy says that any appointments to carry out works will be offered and mutually agreed between the resident and landlord.
53. The landlord’s contractors attended unannounced on at least 2 occasions between 14 April 2023 and July 2023. This is inappropriate and not in line with its policy. This caused the resident distress and inconvenience. The landlord was aware of the resident’s vulnerabilities and the impact this would have had on her.
54. However, the landlord has acknowledged this and apologised in its stage 2 complaint response. It has also made changes to the resident’s record so that this does not recur. As such, we have made a finding of reasonable redress for its handling of the resident’s reports of unannounced visits from contractors.

The landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of the condition of her property, following a decant, including repairs to the heating system and damage to the carpet and sofa

55. The landlord’s remedies policy says that if it does not meet its customer service standards, it can offer an apology, correction of the defect and financial compensation, including refunds of costs incurred. It can offer compensation of between £0 and over £1000.
56. It will pay compensation if a resident cannot use their home because repairs are needed or if it has damaged property or possessions. It also offers discretionary goodwill gestures if it has made an error or provided an unsatisfactory service.
57. The landlord’s repairs policy says that if its staff are negligent and cause damage during repair works, residents can apply for compensation to cover their losses.
58. The repairs policy includes a code of conduct for its contractors. It says contractors will do the following:
    1. Minimise mess and disruption to residents’ homes.
    2. Take care of properties and possessions and protect from dust and paint.
    3.  Keep safe all materials used on site to avoid danger to residents.
    4. Clear any rubbish from inside the property at the end of each working day.
    5. Comply with health and safety legislation.
59. There is no dispute that the resident’s property was not left in a reasonable condition when she returned home. The landlord’s contractors did not abide by the code of conduct. The landlord has apologised for this and offered £250 compensation in its stage 1 complaint response. It has also offered to replace the resident’s carpet, which is appropriate.
60.  However, the compensation is not proportionate to the adverse effect on the resident. The resident suffered severe distress and inconvenience when she returned to her home. The condition of her flat also severely impacted on her enjoyment of her home. She was unable to access her bed and there were health and safety concerns, with nails left on her bed and other building remnants left in the flat. The access issues are particularly concerning, as the resident has physical disabilities, which would have had a significant impact on her.
61. Further, the landlord’s repairs policy says that it may offer extra assistance or other special arrangements when working with vulnerable residents. The landlord did not offer to extend the resident’s stay at the hotel when it was clear that works would not be completed. We would have expected the landlord to discuss possible arrangements with the resident to reduce the impact of the distress and inconvenience. Also, it did not offer any advice or support in moving the furniture back to its original position, once works were completed, despite being aware of her vulnerabilities. This is a failing on the part of the landlord and caused the resident distress, inconvenience and had a severe impact on the enjoyment of her home.
62. The repairs policy says that it will attend to leaking water or heating pipes within 1 working day. It will attend to total or partial loss of space heating (radiators) within 3 working days.
63. Following works to the property, the resident was left without radiators from 14 April 2023 to 29 August 2023. This is over 4 months and significantly outside of the landlord’s own timescales and an unreasonable delay. This caused the resident distress and inconvenience and severely impacted on the enjoyment of her home. Further, as the resident had multiple vulnerabilities, we would have expected the works to be carried out in a significantly timelier manner. This is a failing on the part of the landlord and not resident focussed.
64. Following works to her property, the resident reported a leak on 7 June 2023. The landlord’s contractor did not initially attend until 19 June 2023. This is 8 working days and outside of the landlord’s repair timescales. A full and final repair to the leak was not completed until 29 August 2023. Although we understand that the landlord needed to investigate the source of the leak, this long delay caused the resident significant distress and inconvenience and severely impacted on the enjoyment of her home. Further, the delay may have contributed to further damage to her carpet. This delay is a failing on the part of the landlord.
65. Due to the factors above, a finding of maladministration is made, along with orders for redress.

The landlord’s complaint handling

66. The landlord’s complaints policy says that it can accept complaints in any format and does not have to be in the form of a request for an official complaint.
67. It goes on to say that it will acknowledge stage 1 complaints within 5 working days and provide a response within 10 working days of the acknowledgement.
68. The policy goes on to say that it will make reasonable adjustments for residents with a disability and has “due regard” to the general duty of the equality Act 2010. This includes:
    1. Eliminating discrimination, harassment and victimisation.
    2. Advancing equality of opportunity between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.
69. The Housing Ombudsman’s complaint handling code (The Code) defines a complaint as an expression of dissatisfaction, however made. It also says that all points of a complaint should be addressed.
70. The landlord’s records show that the resident initially tried to make an official complaint regarding the damp and mould on 1 December 2022. She also asked for a written response to her complaint. There is no evidence that the landlord accepted this as a complaint and the matter was not progressed. This is not in line with its policy. This was inappropriate and caused the resident time and trouble in pursuing the issue. It also impacted on the substantive issue being addressed and on the resident’s enjoyment of her home. Also, the landlord was aware of the resident’s disabilities and there is no evidence that it made any reasonable adjustments in respect of its complaints policy when the resident first tried to make a complaint. This was not resident focussed and caused the resident distress and inconvenience.
71. The landlord did not apologise for not providing a response to the resident’s original complaint. It did not offer any compensation and nor did it identify any learnings from its original failure to respond.
72. Due to the above, a finding of service failure is made, along with orders for redress.

Determination

73. In accordance with paragraph 52 of the Scheme, there was maladministration in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of damp and mould in the property.
74. In accordance with paragraph 53.b. of the Scheme, there was reasonable redress in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports relating to unacceptable staff conduct.
75. In accordance with paragraph 53.b. of the Scheme, there was reasonable redress in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s requests to make reasonable adjustments.
76. In accordance with paragraph 53.b. of the Scheme, there was reasonable redress in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of unannounced visits from contractors to carry out works.
77. In accordance with paragraph 52 of the Scheme there was maladministration in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports regarding the condition of the property, following a decant, including repairs to the heating system and damage to the carpet and sofa.
78. In accordance with paragraph 52 of the Scheme, there was service failure in the landlord’s complaint handling.

Orders

79. Within 4 weeks of this report the landlord is ordered to:
    1. Apologise to the resident in writing for the failings identified in this report. This apology needs to be from a senior member of the landlord’s staff.
    2. Contact the resident to agree any removal needs in readiness for the carpet replacement.
    3. Replace the carpet as agreed and discuss assistance options for moving the furniture back.
    4.  Pay the resident the £500 already offered.
    5. In addition to this, pay the resident £1300. This is to be paid directly into her bank account and not to be offset against any arrears(if applicable). This is made up of:
       1. £700 for the distress and inconvenience and time and trouble in pursuing the damp and mould issues.
       2. £500 for the distress and inconvenience and time and trouble caused by the condition of the property, following a decant, including repairs to the heating system and damage to the carpet.
       3. £100 for the complaint handling failures identified in this report.
80. Within 8 weeks of this report the landlord is ordered to:
    1. Review the failings identified in this report and agree training for relevant staff, particularly around:
       1. Equality and diversity.
       2. Repair timescales.
       3. Contractor code of conduct.
       4. Complaint handling.
81. The landlord should provide the Ombudsman with evidence of compliance with all the above orders.

Recommendations

82. The landlord to provide the resident with the name and contact details of the housing officer.