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News Press releases

Housing Ombudsman shares learning from ‘complex’ leak cases

20 November 2025

We have published our latest severe maladministration report. This focuses on leaks, one of the primary causes of damp and mould in homes.

Close-up Of A Shocked Woman Looking at moldy room

We have published our latest severe maladministration report. This focuses on leaks, one of the primary causes of damp and mould in homes. 

The report looks at where landlord’s ineffective oversight of works made resolving the complaint more complicated. It also examines how gaining access to other properties, whether leaseholder or tenant, can complicate complaint resolution. 

Among the cases are residents reporting leaks leading to electrical hazards or collapsed ceilings. Other cases include residents not being prioritised despite recovering from cancer or children being exposed to potential hazards. In some cases rooms become uninhabitable and in others repairs were not completed until we investigated. 

The landlords highlighted in this report are: 

  • A2Dominion 
  • Birmingham City Council 
  • Islington and Shoreditch Housing Association 
  • London Borough of Camden 
  • London Borough of Ealing 
  • London Borough of Lambeth 
  • London Borough of Tower Hamlets 
  • L&Q 
  • Onward Homes 
  • Riverside 
  • Southern Housing 

Learning from severe maladministration report summary

Learning from severe maladministration report (PDF)

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “What connects the cases in this report is complexity. 

“Managing that complexity brings the need for effective controls, reliable data and good communication. Unfortunately, such controls can be lacking. 

“Inevitably, poor data contributes to poor oversight of operatives or contractors. 

“This leads to delays, confusion over works and tasks being passed between different parties. This inefficiency impacts the resident but also costs the landlords. 

“These faults can then be compounded by poor communication. 

“The landlords involved have shared valuable lessons to address these issues. 

“Another striking theme concerns landlords gaining access to other residents’ properties to resolve a leak. The challenge of handling these situations is apparent. Where it could have been handled better is fulfilling legal processes and considering mitigations for the residents impacted, including temporary moves.  

“It underscores landlord accountability – the operating environment may be complex, but this does not absolve obligations.”