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Places for People Group Limited (202423085)

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REPORT

COMPLAINT 202423085

Places for People Group Limited

18 August 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:
    1. A leak and subsequent damp and mould.
    2. Repairs to the boiler.
    3. The resident’s concerns about incorrect information on his rent account.
    4. The complaint.

Background

  1. The resident is an assured tenant of the landlord. The property is a 1-bedroom flat. The landlord has no vulnerabilities recorded for the resident.
  2. The tenancy started on 18 December 2023. The resident told the landlord on 21 December 2023 that Universal Credit had rejected his claim because the landlord informed them his accommodation was temporary. On the same day, the landlord asked the resident to contact Universal Credit to send it a new verification request to correct this. On 8 January 2024, the landlord completed this once received.
  3. On 2 February 2024, the landlord competed a damp and mould survey at the property. It noted an active leak from the bathroom basin and recommended works to fix this, replace the extractor fan and repair boxing in.
  4. On 14 February 2024, the resident complained to the landlord about the error made on his Universal Credit form and the leak. The resident said he did not move into the property until 10 January 2024 because of the issue with the Universal Credit form. He said there was a leak under his bathroom sink, the cabinet was rotten and the ventilation was not working.
  5. The landlord responded at stage 1 on 27 February 2024. The landlord apologised for an error on the form resulting in a delay to rent support from Universal credit. It said the resident needed to discuss with Universal Credit directly about any back pay. The landlord said it would attend on 21 March 2024 to complete the repairs. The landlord apologised and offered the resident £150 compensation.
  6. The landlord escalated the resident’s complaint following an email from him on 16 July 2024. The resident was dissatisfied with the compensation offered. He said the leak happened before he moved into the property. He said this had caused damp, and repairs were outstanding. The resident said there was no heating or hot water when he moved in.
  7. The landlord issued its final response on 21 August 2024. It took full accountability for the oversight in verifying the tenancy type to Universal Credit. The landlord said the heating appeared to be working on 19 December 2024. It said the resident reported an issue on 21 March 2024. The landlord confirmed it replaced the boiler on 26 March 2024 which resolved the issue. The landlord acknowledged it failed to address the leak multiple times, which had caused further damage to the bathroom. It said the leak had been repaired and all damage caused would be rectified at appointments on 27 August and 4 September 2024. It apologised and offered £900 compensation. This was broken down as £250 for stress and inconvenience, £250 for the delays in completing repairs, £120 for the lack of heating and hot water, and a £280 discretionary rent payment.
  8. The resident remained dissatisfied with the landlord’s response. He told us that he started living at the property on 10 January 2024. The resident said the property had not been habitable due to the leak and lack of heating. He said the landlord had not fully repaired damage from the leak, and the leak and repair work had damaged his flooring.

Assessment and findings

Scope of investigation

  1. Some of the issues raised to us by the resident happened following the end of the complaints process. This includes a request for a letter from the landlord confirming the tenancy start date for council tax purposes, and reports about damage to the bathroom flooring. The scope of this investigation centres on the issues raised during the resident’s formal complaint, to which the landlord sent its final response on 21 August 2024. Any issues or requests after that time should be raised as new complaints with the landlord before they can potentially be investigated by the Ombudsman.

Compensation

  1. The landlord offered the resident £900 of compensation at stage two. The landlord confirmed to us that the discretionary rent payment of £280 was to offset the inconvenience and distress caused by the entirety of the complaint. Therefore, this amount has been equally allocated at £70 to each element of the complaint. The landlord offered £120 for the lack of heating and hot water, however it was not clear how much of the £250 for distress and inconvenience applied to the remaining parts of the complaint. As such, for the purpose of this investigation, the £250 for distress and inconvenience has been divided by the remaining 3 parts of the complaint.

A leak and subsequent damp and mould

  1. The landlord’s complaint responses stated that damp and mould was identified during the property inspection on 19 December 2023. It was not clear when the leak happened, but the surveys completed in October 2023 and 14 December 2023 during the void period did not identify the leak or damp and mould in the bathroom. Given that mould was present on 19 December 2023, it is likely that this was there during the previous inspection on 14 December 2023. An existing leak with damp and mould indicates that the landlord had not met the lettable standards in its void policy. This states sanitary ware and other fixtures and fittings, including wash hand-basins are in good working order.
  2. A damp and mould survey in the bathroom on 6 February 2024 noted an active leak under the bathroom sink, the extractor fan needed replacement and boxing in had failed. The landlord raised these works on 27 February 2024. The landlord did not provide a copy of its damp and mould policy. However, its self-assessment in January 2023 against our Spotlight on Damp and Mould report states that damp and mould repairs will be assigned a priority, and it had set up a new priority for damp and mould repairs for 14 days. The landlord failed to meet this. It did not inspect the damp and mould within a reasonable timeframe.
  3. The bathroom fan replacement was completed on 19 July 2024. This was a timeframe of over 5 months from identifying the repair was needed. The leak was fixed on 14 August 2024. This was a timeframe of over 6 months from when the leak was identified, and over 7 months from it identifying damp and mould. The landlord failed to complete these repairs within the 28-day timescale in its repairs policy.
  4. The landlord’s records show a number of repair appointments and works raised during this time, with follow on works being required and work incomplete. Damp and mould problems can be complex and take time to diagnose and resolve. However, the landlord diagnosed the leak and remedial work required on 6 February 2024. The reason for the delay in repairing the leak and subsequent work is unclear.
  5. Basic good customer service requires landlords to keep in communication with residents and update them on the progress of repairs. The landlord’s records show the resident following up with the landlord about the repairs on a number of occasions. The evidence shows the landlord made some attempts to improve communication after the resident escalated his complaint. It called him with an update on 25 July 2024, and attempted calls to update him on 6 and 9 August 2024 about repairs.
  6. The plastering work was completed on 5 September 2025 as promised in the stage 2 response. While the landlord had done what it said it would here to put things right for the resident, this was an overall timeframe of over 8 months from first identifying damp and mould. There was also no evidence of the landlord arranging a mould wash in the interim until 25 July 2024.
  7. The evidence shows the landlord attended a job to the boxing in on 27 August 2024 as promised in its final response. However, this appointment did not resolve the issue because the landlord attended again to the boxing in on 24 March 2025 and 25 April 2025. Following an appointment on 25 April 2025, the landlord raised a repair to replace the vanity unit beneath the sink to resolve the issue. The resident had experienced a number of repair appointments for the landlord to identify this work was needed.
  8. This work is scheduled for 24 September 2025. This is over a year after the end of the complaints process. The reasons for the delay are unclear. The evidence shows the resident told the landlord the vanity unit was rotten in both his complaint and escalation request. The evidence also shows the resident had to take the time and trouble to continue to follow up on this outstanding repair after the end of the complaints process. The landlord’s delay here to completing repairs to the damage in the bathroom as promised in its final response is excessive.
  9. In its complaint responses, the landlord acknowledged it failed to address the leak on multiple occasions, which resulted in further damage to the bathroom. It attempted to put things right for the resident through repairing the damage to the plaster and boxing in, and its offer of compensation. The landlord offered the resident £250 compensation for the delay in completing the repairs, and an amount included in its offer for distress and inconvenience and a discretionary payment. As explained above, for the purpose of this investigation, this amount is considered to be £153.33.
  10. It is essential for landlords to break down any offers of compensation so that a resident can understand to what extent it had acknowledged the impact of each individual failure. In absence of a full breakdown of this calculation by the landlord, we were unable to determine what proportion had been attributed to each issue in the complaint. The compensation offered did not go far enough to reflect the delays, or account for repairs to the damage in the bathroom remaining outstanding.
  11. Overall, the landlord unreasonably delayed completing the repairs to the leak and the subsequent damp and mould. The landlord attempted to put things right for the resident through its offer of compensation and plan of action to repair the damage. However, its offer was unclear and the damage to the cabinet underneath the sink still remains outstanding. It also failed to explain the reasons for the delays to the repairs and demonstrate that it had taken learning from the resident’s complaint. Therefore, its remedies did not go far enough to account for the distress and inconvenience caused to the resident or resolve the complaint. A further amount of compensation has been ordered in line with our remedies guidance for where a landlord has made some attempt to put things right but this was not proportionate to the failings identified by our investigation.

Repairs to boiler

  1. The landlord stated the boiler was working on 19 December 2023, when a test was conducted as part of the move in process. The landlord’s records show this test took place and a boiler service was completed on the same day.
  2. There was no evidence of the resident raising any problems with the boiler, heating or hot water prior to 21 March 2024. The records show the landlord attended the property on 25 March 2024, and replaced the boiler the following day. The landlord’s website states a total loss of heating between 1 October and 31 March is an emergency repair. The landlord failed to attend within the 24 hours set out in its repairs policy for emergency repairs.
  3. The landlord offered the resident £120 compensation for the lack of heating and hot water. This was inline with its policy which states that it will pay £20 per day over its target timescale for a loss of heating and hot water. The landlord was only aware of a loss of heating and hot water from 21 March 2024 until the repair on 26 March 2024. £70 of the landlord’s offer of a discretionary rent payment was also considered to be in relation to this part of the complaint for overall distress and inconvenience. This demonstrated the landlord trying to put things right for the resident.
  4. Overall, under the terms of the tenancy agreement, the resident is to report promptly any repair the landlord is responsible for. There was no evidence that he did so until 21 March 2024. The landlord recognised the delay to its repair, and the discomfort and inconvenience caused to the resident during the time it was aware the boiler had not worked. It offered compensation to put things right for the resident. As such there was reasonable redress by the landlord.

The resident’s concerns about incorrect information on his rent account

  1. The landlord advised Universal Credit that the resident’s accommodation was temporary. This resulted in Universal Credit initially being unable to associate housing costs to the rent account. The evidence shows the landlord was first aware of its error on 21 December 2023. It acted without delay and responded to the resident the same day. It records show it called him with instructions on how to resolve the issue by requesting a new verification link to be sent.
  2. On 3 January 2024, the landlord emailed the resident to confirm if had not yet received the new verification link. Although it is noted the landlord’s correspondence here was delayed due to the Christmas period, this demonstrated the landlord following up on the issue. On 8 January 2024, a support worker on behalf of the resident responded to confirm they had now resubmitted the form and the link should arrive shortly. The landlord confirmed to the resident the following day that it had completed this on 8 January 2024. This demonstrated the landlord had taken timely action to resolve this error.
  3. The resident was dissatisfied with paying rent during this period. The landlord’s error meant the resident had to take the time and trouble to resubmit his information to Universal Credit. However, there was no evidence to show the issue had prevented the resident from moving into the property when the tenancy started. The landlord confirmed to the resident in an email on 3 January 2024 that he was liable for the rent payments from the start of the tenancy. Its stage 1 response confirmed the resident needed to discuss any back pay with Universal Credit. The landlord also referred the resident to its money advice team on 25 January 2024 for assistance with Universal Credit appeals. This demonstrated a customer focused approach.
  4. The landlord apologised to the resident and offered compensation. For the purpose of this investigation, £153.33 of this compensation was considered to be related to this issue. The landlord did not explain how it had calculated the total compensation offered. However, the amount was in line with its compensation policy. This says the landlord can make an award of this amount in recognition of service failure resulting in impact on the resident, and our own remedies guidance.
  5. Overall, the landlord acknowledged the error it made and corrected this in an appropriate timeframe. The information and advice the landlord provided was reasonable. The resident was liable for the rent under the terms of the tenancy agreement from the tenancy start date. The compensation offered was proportionate to its failure and recognised the distress and inconvenience caused.

Complaint handling

  1. The landlord escalated the complaint on 17 July 2024 following an email from the resident the previous day. The evidence shows the resident emailed the landlord on 5 June 2024 expressing his dissatisfaction with the stage 1 response and compensation. There is no evidence of the landlord escalating the resident’s complaint following receipt of this. Although it is noted the landlord visited the resident on 13 June 2024 to discuss the issues he raised. The landlord did not follow its complaints policy or the Code and escalate his complaint when he remained dissatisfied.
  2. The landlord provided its final response on 21 August 2024. This was 55 working days from his initial expression of dissatisfaction with the stage 1 response on 5 June 2025. This again did not meet the landlord’s complaint policy. This says it will respond within 20 working days.
  3. The landlord’s final response acknowledged its delay in responding to the resident’s complaint. It said the complexity of the complaint contributed to the extended timeframe. The landlord did communicate with the resident during the complaint, updating him on repairs. However, there is no evidence of the landlord agreeing on updates with the resident in line with its complaints policy or providing a date of when he could expect a response. As a result, he took the time and trouble to follow up on this in July and August 2024.
  4. In summary, the landlord acknowledged the delay in responding to the resident’s stage 2 complaint and provided an explanation for this. It apologised for the inconvenience caused to the resident and its total offer of compensation included an amount for stress and inconvenience caused, and a discretionary payment. We consider the amount of compensation of £153.33 considered to be in relation to complaint handling was fair. This amount is in line with the landlord’s complaint policy and our own remedies guidance.

Determination

  1. In accordance with paragraph 52 of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme there was maladministration in the landlord’s handling of a leak and subsequent damp and mould.
  2. In accordance with paragraph 53.b of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme there was reasonable redress in the landlord’s handling of repairs to the boiler.
  3. In accordance with paragraph 53.b of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme there was reasonable redress in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s concerns about incorrect information on his rent account.
  4. In accordance with paragraph 53.b of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme there was reasonable redress in the landlord’s complaint handling.

Orders and recommendations

Orders

  1. The landlord must, within 4 weeks of this report, pay the resident additional compensation of £300 for the further failings identified in its handling of a leak and subsequent damp and mould.
  2. The landlord must provide evidence of compliance with the above order to the Service within 4 weeks of this report.

Recommendation

  1. The landlord should contact the resident about his claim that the leak and repair work has damaged his bathroom flooring. It should consider if it needs to open a further complaint about this matter for the resident.