Severe maladministration after roof leak affected vulnerable resident of LB Haringey

The Housing Ombudsman found severe maladministration for LB Haringey’s housing management organisation, Homes for Haringey, when dealing with a vulnerable resident’s complaint about a leaking roof that caused damp and mould. The landlord was aware of the resident’s vulnerability due to her medical condition that she said was made worse by living in her property and that she had been hospitalised several times, but it did not take any steps to support her. The resident experienced unexplained delays and a lack of communication from the landlord.

The resident, a leaseholder, had reported leaks from the roof above on several occasions over a period of two years and some repairs were carried out. In early 2021 she contacted the landlord to say she had been in hospital after spending two months in a damp flat with leaks and mould on the walls. Further work was scheduled but did not take place. The landlord acknowledged the resident’s concerns and raised a stage one complaint on her behalf. She said the flat was becoming uninhabitable due to her medical conditions and she needed to stay at home because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The landlord failed to give the resident an update on the progress of the repairs, apologised and said its contractors had been affected by the pandemic and that it would ask them to prioritise the work. The resident was dissatisfied as the issue had been going on for some time, a repair had not been successful and now she had been told the contractors were not available until lockdown restrictions eased. She reiterated the impact it was having on her health and the extra heating costs needed to keep the property warm because of the damp.

In its stage two complaint response the landlord apologised, noted the poor communication and offered £100 compensation. The resident did not feel this was sufficient and there were still unresolved damp and mould issues. She asked for her complaint to be reviewed by the landlord’s Tenant Panel which upheld her appeal and recommended a thorough inspection which the landlord failed to do. The resident referred the matter to us.

We found severe maladministration for the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of leaks, damp, and mould at the property and maladministration for its handling of the complaint and record keeping. We ordered the landlord to pay the resident compensation of £600, take a number of actions to deal with the repairs and review how it responds to the recommendations of the Tenant Panel.

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “Although the landlord acknowledged its errors in communication about the repairs it did not offer suitable compensation to recognise the inconvenience experienced by the resident by its lack of communication and unexplained delays. The landlord was aware that the resident suffered from medical conditions which she said were made worse by living in a property affected by damp and mould. It should have looked to prioritise the repairs given these vulnerabilities and the fact that there was damp and mould in the property during the coldest months of the year.

“It also failed to address certain aspects of the resident’s complaint, including her concerns about missed and failed appointments, additional heating bills and her concerns about mould in the property and the effect on her health. No evidence has been provided to show that the landlord acted on the Tenant Panel’s recommendation that it inspect the roof. This was a significant failing and a missed opportunity to resolve any outstanding repair issues.

“I welcome the opportunity the landlord has taken to learn lessons from this complaint and its actions to improve and prevent similar issues recurring. I would encourage other landlords to consider the learning this case offers.”

Read the case summary 

In cases of severe maladministration, we invite the landlord to provide a short statement on the lessons it has learned following the decision.