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Torus62 Limited (202405696)

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REPORT

COMPLAINT 202405696

Torus62 Limited

28 April 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 to an internal door and the windows at the property. 

Background

  1. The resident is an assured tenant. On 6 January 2023 the resident raised a repair for the windows at his property. He said they were draughty and in poor condition.
  2. The resident raised his complaint on 15 February 2024. He was unhappy that the landlord had not resolved the window repairs. The resident also said an internal door at the property needed replacing.
  3. On 14 March 2024 the landlord replied at stage 1 of its internal complaints process. It partially upheld the complaint and offered £100 compensation to the resident.
  4. The resident escalated his complaint on 5 April 2024. He said the repairs had caused him distress and affected his mental health. On 10 April 2024 the landlord completed the internal door repair at the property.
  5. On 22 May 2024 the landlord replied at stage 2 of its internal complaints process. It increased the offer of compensation to £200 and signposted the resident for support regarding his mental health.
  6. The resident brought his complaint to us and said the repairs to the windows at his property were outstanding. On 3 February 2025 the landlord told the resident his property was on the new windows programme. It confirmed it will replace all the windows at his property with new ones as part of the programme no later than 31 March 2026.

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 contacted the landlord and provided it with a summary of events. This included our provisional comments as to what the landlord could do to resolve the resident’s complaint.

The landlord’s offer of redress

  1. The landlord offered to pay the resident £500 compensation within 4 weeks. The resident has informed the Ombudsman that he is content with this as a resolution to his complaint in addition to the promise to replace the windows by March 2026.
  2. The Ombudsman is therefore satisfied that following our intervention, the landlord’s actions will remedy the matters raised. This will resolve the complaint satisfactorily.

Determination

  1. In accordance with paragraph 53.c. of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, the complaint was resolved with intervention.

Recommendation

  1. We recommend the landlord:
    1. Pay the sum of £500 compensation if it has not already done so, in any event within 4 weeks of this decision.
    2. Complete the renewal of the windows as it promised in its final response.