London & Quadrant Housing Trust (202339629)

Decision
Case ID	202339629
Decision type	Investigation
Landlord	London & Quadrant Housing Trust
Landlord type	Housing Association
Occupancy	Assured Tenancy
Date	28 October 2025

Background

1. The resident reported damp and mould in December 2023, and the landlord’s contractor identified that repairs were needed to the roof on 12 February 2024. The resident has long term physical and mental health conditions. Also living at the property are her 9 and 11 year old children, who have been diagnosed with autism and have sensory issues.

What the complaint is about

2. The landlord’s handling of:
   1. Leaks, damp, and mould
   2. The resident’s complaint.

Our decision (determination)

3. There was severe maladministration in the landlord’s handling of leaks, damp, and mould.
4. There was service failure in the landlord’s handling of the complaint.

We have made orders for the landlord to put things right.

Summary of reasons

The landlord’s handling of leaks, damp, and mould

5. The landlord did not carry out the repairs to the roof within its repairs policy timeframe. Although the landlord has carried out 3 damp and mould treatments at the property since February 2024, it has not taken action to remedy the cause of the ongoing damp and mould, contrary to its damp and mould policy.
6. The landlord acknowledged its delay in completing the roof repairs and offered compensation in its stage 2 complaint response, but this did not fully put things right. The roof repairs remain outstanding.

The landlord’s handling of the resident’s complaint.

7. The landlord did not act soon enough to escalate the resident’s complaint to stage 2 of its complaint process. This meant the resident had to contact the landlord several times to progress her complaint.

 

Putting things right

Where we find service failure, maladministration or severe maladministration we can make orders for the landlord to put things right. We have the discretion to make recommendations in all other cases within our jurisdiction.

Orders

Landlords must comply with our orders in the manner and timescales we specify. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of compliance with our orders by the due date set.

 

Order	What the landlord must do	Due date
1	Apology order   The landlord must apologise in writing to the resident for the failures identified in this report. The landlord must ensure the apology: is provided by the Chief Executive is specific to the failures identified in this decision, meaningful and empathetic has due regard to our apologies guidance	No later than 25 November 2025
2	Completing the roofing works The landlord must take all steps to ensure the work to repair the roof is completed promptly and in any event by the due date. If the landlord cannot complete the works in this time, it must explain to us, by the due date: Why it cannot complete the works by the due date and provide evidence to support its reasons. It must provide a revised timescale of when it will finish the works; or Explain the steps it has taken to ensure the works were completed and provide supporting evidence. It must provide a revised timescale if it is able to or explain why it cannot. Whether suitable alternative accommodation is necessary and will be made available to the resident until the work is completed.	No later than 25 November 2025
3	Inspection order   The landlord must contact the resident to arrange an inspection of the property. It must take all reasonable steps to ensure the inspection is completed by the due date. The inspection must be completed by someone suitably qualified to complete an inspection of the type needed. If the landlord cannot gain access to complete the inspection, it must provide us with documentary evidence of its attempts to inspect the property no later than the due date.   What the inspection must achieve The landlord must ensure that the surveyor: Inspects the property and produces a written report with photographs   The survey report must set out: Whether the property is fit for human habitation and whether there are any hazards Any repairs needed at the property as a result of the leaks, damp, and mould. The most likely cause of the damp and mould Whether the landlord is responsible to repair or resolve the issues, together with reasons where it is not responsible A full scope of works to achieve a lasting and effective repair to the issue (if the landlord is responsible) The likely timescales to commence and complete the work Whether temporary alternative accommodation is necessary either because of the condition of the property or during the works	No later than 09 December 2025
4	Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident a total of £2,802.92. This is made up of: £800 to recognise the further distress and inconvenience caused by its failure to complete the repairs after the stage 2 response. £2,002.92 based on 15% of rent between 8 March 2024 and 28 October 2025 at the Regulator’s average rent of £146.75 for 3 weeks, £155.93 for 52 weeks and £160.14 for 30 weeks. This is to recognise the loss of enjoyment of the home during this period as a result of the roof leak, damp, and mould. This payment is in addition to the compensation paid by the landlord at stage 2 of the complaint. The compensation must be paid directly to the resident by the due date. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of payment by the due date.	No later than 25 November 2025

 

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

Date	What happened
24 August 2024	The resident complained to the landlord. She said she reported leaks from her roof several months ago, and the landlord still had not replaced missing roof tiles. She said whenever it rained, the roof leaked, and it was soaking the stairs. She said this was causing problems due to her health conditions, and affecting her children.
30 August 2024	The landlord sent its stage 1 response. It said it apologised for the delay repairing the roof. It offered the resident £180 compensation and said it would tell its contractor the resident’s roofing repair was urgent.
30 August – 16 September 2024	The resident sent several emails to the landlord to say she was not satisfied with its response. She said the compensation the landlord offered for time and effort was not fair as she had been chasing the repair. She said the landlord had not repaired the leak from the roof. She said the landlord should repair the roof and also assess the damage the leak had done inside the house. The resident asked the landlord to escalate her complaint.
18 September 2024	The resident emailed the landlord with reasons for escalating her complaint. She told the landlord its compensation offer was too low. She said the landlord had not fixed the leak, and she found chasing the landlord to complete the repairs very stressful. She told the landlord she had mobility problems, and the wet stairs posed an additional risk. She said she also had 2 children with special needs who hated the sensation of the stairs being wet underfoot.
30/09/2024	The landlord sent its stage 2 complaint response. It apologised for the further delays and increased its compensation offer to £860.
Referral to the Ombudsman	The resident asked us to investigate her case because the repair remained outstanding. She said the leak, damp and mould were having a serious impact on her family.
13 October 2025	The landlord told us the roof repairs have not yet been carried out.

 

What we found and why

The circumstances of this complaint are well known by the parties involved, so it is not necessary to detail everything that’s happened or comment on all the information we’ve reviewed. We’ve only included the key information that forms the basis of our decision of whether the landlord is responsible for maladministration.

 

Complaint	The handling of the leaks, damp, and mould
Finding	Severe maladministration

What we have not investigated

8. The resident said she is worried about the impact of the damp and mould on her family’s health. She also reported slipping on the wet stairs, which she often covered with towels, and sustaining an injury in September 2024. The courts are the most effective place for disputes about personal injury and illness. This is because independent medical experts can give evidence. We cannot decide on causation based on review of the housing file. We can consider the overall impact of the situation on the resident, but we cannot decide causation or liability for personal injury like a court can. If the resident wishes to pursue a personal injury claim she may wish to seek independent legal advice.
9. The resident said she reported a leak in her bathroom in around April 2025. We have not considered this issue because it did not form part of the resident’s original complaint. A landlord needs to be given a fair opportunity to investigate and respond to any complaints about its actions before we investigate. The resident is able to raise a further complaint with the landlord about this matter, if she wishes to do so.

 

What we have investigated

10. The landlord is obliged under the tenancy agreement to keep the exterior and the structure of the property in good repair. Its repairs policy says routine repairs should be carried out within 25 days. The landlord should have repaired the roof by 8 March 2024, within 25 days of its inspection of the roof on 12 February 2024. It told us on 13 October 2025 it was waiting for its contractor to schedule the repairs. The landlord’s failure to repair the roof was contrary to its obligations as set out in the tenancy agreement and its repairs policy.
11. The impact of the roof leak on the resident and her family was significant due to their circumstances. She has long term physical and mental health conditions and said she found the landlord’s handling of the repairs stressful. The resident said when it rained, the carpet on the stairs became saturated due to the leak from the roof. She said her children, who have been diagnosed with autism and have sensory issues, were particularly sensitive to the feeling of the saturated carpet underfoot. She said the children became distressed when it rained.
12. The resident reported there was damp and mould at the property due to the roof leak. The landlord arranged 3 damp and mould treatments at the property between April 2024 and May 2025. It was appropriate for the landlord to arrange mould treatments when the resident reported damp and mould. However, there is no evidence that it sought to confirm and rectify the cause of the damp and mould. This was contrary to its damp and mould policy, which states that the landlord should establish if an immediate repair is required following a report of damp and mould. It was inappropriate that the landlord carried out repeated mould treatments without identifying and addressing the underlying cause of the damp and mould at the property. The resident said she is worried about the impact of the damp and mould on the health of the family. This has caused her additional distress and inconvenience.
13. The landlord appropriately acknowledged its delay in completing the repairs in its stage 2 complaint response on 30 September 2024. It told the resident it had not identified damp in the hallway and stairs on 27 September 2024 when it had attended and inspected, but acknowledged that the repairs to the roof were significantly overdue. It offered £860 compensation and said it would arrange to complete the repairs. It also said it would pass the resident’s case to its maintenance department to monitor the works to completion. It was appropriate for the landlord to say it would complete the outstanding repairs. However, the repairs were not subsequently carried out.
14. Overall, there was severe maladministration in this case. The resident contacted the landlord frequently to ask it to carry out the repairs to the roof, and to report damp and mould, both before and after the conclusion of her complaint. She raised an additional complaint about the same issue in February 2025. In spite of this, the roof repairs remain outstanding. No explanation was offered by the landlord for this delay. The landlord’s failure to complete the repair had a seriously detrimental impact on the resident and her family, due to their vulnerabilities.
15. The compensation awarded by the landlord at stage 2 did not adequately recognise the duration of the issue, which has continued after the stage 2 response, or the full impact of the leak, damp and mould on the resident and her family.
16. We have ordered the landlord to increase the compensation it offered the resident to recognise the continued distress and inconvenience after the stage 2 response, and the loss of enjoyment of the property due to the leak, damp, and mould. Our remedies guidance suggests awards of in excess of £1000 are appropriate for distress and inconvenience where the landlord repeatedly failed to provide the same service which had a seriously detrimental impact on the resident; demonstrating a failure to provide a service, put things right, and learn from outcomes. The landlord awarded £700 for distress and inconvenience and time and effort in the stage 2 response. In light of the additional delay of over 12 months following the stage 2 response, we have ordered the landlord to pay further compensation of £800 for distress and inconvenience, in addition to the £700 previously awarded.
17. In addition, the landlord is ordered to compensate the resident for loss of enjoyment of the property during the period the repairs have remained outstanding. This is calculated based on the Regulator’s average rent for the period from 8 March 2025 (25 days after the landlord’s contractor confirmed that roof repairs were needed) up to the date of this report.

 

 

 

 

Complaint	The handling of the complaint
Finding	Service failure

18. The landlord has a 2-stage complaints policy. It says it will acknowledge complaints at both stages within 5 working days. It will respond to complaints at stage 1 within 10 working days, and stage 2 within 20 working days of the acknowledgement. This is in line with the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.
19. The landlord acknowledged the resident’s complaint within 5 working days, and sent its stage 1 response within 10 working days of its acknowledgement, in line with its policy.
20. The resident raised her dissatisfaction with the stage 1 response in several emails on the 30 August 2024, but the landlord did not acknowledge the escalation request until 12 working days later. This was in excess of the 5 working days required by its policy, which was a failing. It meant the resident needed to contact the landlord on 3 more occasions to ask the landlord to escalate the complaint, before the landlord acknowledged the escalation request and progressed the resident’s complaint. After belatedly acknowledging the resident’s escalation request, the landlord sent its stage 2 response within 21 working days of the request.
21. Overall, there was service failure in the landlord’s handling of the complaint. The delay to the stage 2 response was minimal, but the landlord did not apologise for its delay in escalating the complaint, or for the fact the resident needed to ask it to escalate the complaint several times.

Learning

Communication

22. Communication with the resident was poor. The resident contacted the landlord via its repairs request service and its complaints team to ask it to progress her repair. She was not informed of the reason for the delay or an expected date for completion. The poor communication with the resident is likely to have added to the frustration and distress experienced by the resident in this case.