Haringey London Borough Council (202342713)

Decision
Case ID	202342713
Decision type	Investigation
Landlord	Haringey London Borough Council
Landlord type	Local Authority / ALMO or TMO
Occupancy	Secure Tenancy
Date	30 January 2026

Background

1. The resident reported issues with the windows in July 2023. He later reported that the windows were leaking, which resulted in damp and mould developing around the window areas.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s response to the resident’s:

a.             Reports of repairs and damp and mould.

b.             Complaint.

Our decision (determination)

3. We found the landlord responsible for:

a.             Reasonable redress in its response to the resident’s reports of repairs and damp and mould.

b.             Service failure in its response to the resident’s complaint.

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

Summary of reasons

4. The landlord did not manage the resident’s reports of repairs in line with its policies. There were significant delays in inspecting the windows and progressing follow‑on repairs after inspection. While the handling of the repairs fell below the standard required, the landlord has since completed the outstanding works and offered proportionate compensation.
5. The landlord also failed to respond to the resident’s complaint at stage 1 within its policy timescales and did not acknowledge this failure. This caused the resident additional time and trouble, for which modest additional remedy is appropriate.

 

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 specific to the failures identified in this decision, meaningful and empathetic. It has due regard to our apologies guidance.	No later than 27 February 2026
2	Compensation order Complaint. The landlord must provide evidence that it has paid the resident £50 to recognise the additional distress and inconvenience caused by its failures in handling the resident’s complaint.	No later than 27 February 2026

Recommendations

Our recommendations are not binding, and a landlord may decide not to follow them.

Our recommendations
The landlord should pay the resident the £300 compensation it offered at stage 2 of its complaint procedure in recognition of the delays in managing the window repairs, if it has not done so already. Our finding of reasonable redress is based on this amount being paid to the resident.

 

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

Date	What happened
21 November 2023	The resident made a formal complaint. He said: The windows were leaking and draughty; Mould had developed around the windows; The issues had been ongoing for some time; and The conditions were affecting his health.
16 January 2024	The landlord issues its stage 1 response. It offered £100 compensation for the delay in progressing works to the windows after an inspection in October 2023.
16 January 2024	The resident requested escalation to stage 2. He said the issues remained unresolved and the compensation the landlord had offered did not reflect the impact of the delays.
13 February 2024	The landlord issues its stage 2 response. It awarded a further £200 compensation in recognition of the impact of the service failure and the resident’s time and trouble.
Referral to the Ombudsman	The resident remained dissatisfied with the compensation offered

 

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	Reports of repairs and damp and mould
Finding	Reasonable redress

Repairs to windows (water ingress)

6. The landlord’s records confirm that the resident reported problems with the windows on 26 July 2023, and that it raised a repair job on the same date.
7. Under the landlord’s repairs policy, it should arrange an inspection within 28 calendar days for window-related repairs. The landlord did not attend the property until 12 October 2023, 56 working days after the repair was reported. The landlord has not provided evidence explaining this delay or showing that it kept the resident informed during this time.
8. At the October 2023 visit, the operative recorded that the issue could not be resolved at first visit and appeared to be external water ingress. In November 2023 the resident contacted the landlord to say the windows were still leaking, draught was present and mould had developed around the windows. He also raised concerns about the impact on his health. At that stage, the landlord was on notice that the repair raised in July 2023 had not progressed and that the resident considered the conditions in the home to be worsening.
9. In response, the landlord focused on whether the window installation dated back to 2011 and advised that historic works could not be investigated. This was not reasonable, as the resident was reporting an active repair issue requiring attention. The landlord should have provided clarity on the next steps for the outstanding repair and communicated how and when it would address the ongoing water ingress.
10. Internal correspondence dated 19 December 2023 shows the landlord had identified the likely cause of the water ingress. It recorded that a void between the top of the window unit and the lintel had not been adequately packed, allowing water penetration. The correspondence also set out the remedial works required, including removing and reinstalling the windows and sealing the void. There is no evidence that the landlord communicated the diagnosis or a repair plan to the resident at that stage.
11. The landlord progressed the repair through the subcontractor route, but the records show that the subcontract package was not acknowledged until 26 March 2024. The works were not completed until 24 April 2024, around nine months after the resident first reported the issue. In its complaint responses, the landlord accepted that the delay was caused by administrative error and poor job management. There is no evidence that access issues or the resident’s actions contributed to the delay.
12. While the landlord’s handling of the window repairs fell below the standard required, the evidence shows that it has since completed the outstanding works and identified £300 as appropriate compensation. In the circumstances, this compensation reasonably reflects the distress and inconvenience caused by the 9-month delays, and no further financial redress is required.

Reports of damp and mould

13. The resident reported damp and mould to the landlord in November 2023, stating that the mould had developed around the windows and that the issues were affecting his health.
14. The landlord arranged for a clerk of works to attend on 13 December 2023. The clerks report found no major damp and mould concerns at that time. It noted that the mould on the window sealant was most likely caused by the incorrect type of sealant being used.
15. In the circumstances, it was reasonable for the landlord to rely on the professional opinion of the clerk of works and not to take further action in relation to damp and mould at that stage.
16. A further damp and mould inspection took place in February 2024 and identified that the landlord should carry out a mould wash. However, this occurred after the landlord’s final complaint response and therefore falls outside the scope of this investigation. It remains open to the resident to raise a new complaint with the landlord if he remains dissatisfied with the landlord’s actions from February 2024 onwards.

Complaint	Complaint
Finding	Service failure

17. The resident made a formal complaint in November 2023 about the landlord’s handling of repairs and the presence of damp and mould. The landlord acknowledged the complaint on 6 December and confirmed that it would issue a stage 1 response by 18 December 2023, in line with its complaints policy.
18. The landlord did not issue the stage 1 response until 16 January 2024, which was outside its published timescale. The evidence does not show that the landlord informed the resident in advance that the response would be delayed or provided a revised response date. This was not in line with the landlord’s complaints policy.
19. The resident escalated the complaint following receipt of the stage 1 response. The landlord issues its stage 2 response on 13 February 2024, which was within the timescale set out in its policy.
20. In its stage 2 response, the landlord addressed the substantive repair issues, acknowledged delays and poor management in progressing the repairs, apologised, and offered compensation. However, the landlord did not specifically acknowledge or address the delay at stage 1 of the complaint process or explain why the delay occurred.
21. The failure to respond to the complaint at stage 1 within the policy timescales, and the lack of acknowledgement of that failure, caused the resident additional frustration and time and trouble in pursuing the complaint. This impact was separate from the distress and inconvenience caused by the underlying repair issues.
22. In the circumstances, a modest award of £50 is appropriate to recognise the additional time and trouble caused by the complaint-handling failure. This amount reflects that the failure was limited to a single delay at stage 1, that the complaint was progressed and concluded at stage 2 within timescales, and that the landlord otherwise engaged with the complaint process.

 

Learning

23. Our spotlight report on repairs and maintenance explains that failures can be avoided when landlords:

a. let residents know what to expect regarding repairs and provide a clear schedule for repair visits

b. gather feedback from residents and conduct inspections to ensure the work is satisfactory.

24. In this case, the records do not show if the landlord regularly updated the resident on the status of the window repairs after the initial inspection. Frustration and dissatisfaction may have been avoided if the landlord had provided clearer and more consistent communication while the repairs and associated damp and mould issues remained unresolved.
25. The case also highlights the importance of maintaining clear and accurate repair records. Including documenting follow-on actions after inspections and ensuring jobs are actively monitored through to completion. Improved record keeping would support better oversight and reduce the risk of repairs not being progressed due to administrative error.