Your Housing Group Limited (202417659)

Decision
Case ID	202417659
Decision type	Investigation
Landlord	Your Housing Group Limited
Landlord type	Housing Association
Occupancy	Assured Tenancy
Date	20 November 2025

Background

1. The resident lives in a bungalow, and is disabled and blind. He reported a roof leak causing a ceiling collapse and damaging extractor fans. The landlord agreed to replace the roof along with skylights. He also reported that the bin shed outside created a trip hazard and was in need of repair.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of repairs to:
   1. Skylights.
   2. A bin shed.
3. We have also investigated the landlord’s complaint handling.

Our decision (determination)

4. The landlord was responsible for:
   1. Maladministration in its handling of repairs to skylights.
   2. Reasonable redress in its handling of repairs to a bin shed.
   3. Reasonable redress in its complaint handling.

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

Summary of reasons

Handling of repairs to skylights

5. There were significant delays in completing the roof replacement. Although the landlord apologised, offered compensation and gave assurance that the situation would be monitored, a skylight replacement still remained incomplete nearly a year after the final response.

Handling of repairs to a bin shed

6. The landlord acknowledged delays in completing repairs, apologised, and offered compensation. In November 2024, it carried out an inspection and confirmed that the bin shed was safe, with no trip hazards identified.

Complaint handling

7. The landlord recognised there were some delays in its complaint handling, apologised and appropriately compensated the resident for the time and inconvenience caused.

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	Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident £1,475 to recognise the distress and inconvenience caused by its delays in resolving the situation and its overall handling of the complaint made up of: £1,275 as offered in its final response which remains unpaid as the resident refused payment until all agreed repairs were completed. A further £200 for the delay in resolving the skylights. This 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 18 December 2025
2	Completing the skylight works The landlord and resident have said works were arranged for 14 November 2025 to complete the skylight installation. It is unlcear if this relates to the bathroom or kitchen or both. The landlord must provide evidence it has completed any necessary work to both skylights 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 18 December 2025

Recommendation

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

Our recommendation
The landlord should carry out an inspection of the bin shed, identifying any works and whether there are any hazards, and share the report with the resident.

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

Date	What happened
14 May 2024	A local fire service complained on behalf of the resident. They told the landlord that since February 2024 the bathroom ceiling had been missing and he wanted the repairs completed. Later in May 2024, the landlord contacted the resident to discuss the complaint which included issues with the roof, ceilings, extractor fans, and the bin shed.
27 June 2024	The landlord issued its stage 1 response confirming the roof leak was attended on 23 May 2024, where it identified a full roof replacement and new skylights would be needed. It said these works would be scheduled and dates provided. It had also raised a repair for the bin shed. It apologised for the inconvenience caused and offered £475 compensation for the delays and poor communication.
12 September 2024	The resident escalated the complaint, stating that roof replacement and plastering repairs were still incomplete. The outside bin shed was also not inspected despite a scheduled appointment. He wanted the repairs completed.
20 November 2024	The landlord issued its final stage 2 response confirming delays in repairing the roof and skylights. A new roof and skylights were scheduled for 27 January 2025. The bin shed was inspected in November 2024 where it was found it to be safe. It apologised for prolonged delays and inconvenience, acknowledging the impact on the resident’s health. It increased its compensation to £1,275 to reflect the further delays, and poor communication.
Referral to the Ombudsman	The resident told us the bathroom skylight repair was still pending. Scaffolding was previously installed, but operatives arrived without the replacement and refitted the old unit. He also said the kitchen skylight was replaced, but said the casing was not weatherproof and the bin shed repair was still outstanding and posed a hazard given his visual impairment. As an outcome, he wanted all outstanding works completed and further compensation.

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	Repairs to skylights
Finding	Maladministration

8. The resident complained about delays in repairing the roof, ceiling, and extractor fans. In response, the landlord acknowledged delays and poor communication, apologised, and agreed to offer compensation. It also committed to replacing the roof and repairing the skylights. Evidence confirms the roof replacement was completed in late January 2025.
9. It was appropriate for the landlord to acknowledge poor service because evidence shows multiple failings in handling the resident’s repair reports. These included prolonged delays in scheduling roof repairs, agreeing to a full roof replacement only in May 2024 – 6 months after the leak was reported – and further delays in fixing the ceiling and extractor fans.
10. Despite knowing the resident was blind and disabled, the landlord failed to act with urgency, communicated poorly, and did not coordinate works effectively. The resident had to chase for updates and repeatedly explained that storing belongings in boxes significantly affected his living conditions.
11. When a landlord acknowledges failings the Ombudsman’s role is to assess whether it then resolved the complaint satisfactorily and appropriate redress was offered, in line with the Ombudsman’s Dispute Resolution Principles: be fair, put things right, and learn from outcomes.
12. The remedies offered included an apology, a commitment to complete roof and skylight works by January 2025, and compensation reflecting poor communication, inconvenience, and the time and trouble caused by delays.
13. However, skylight works were incomplete in January 2025. In March 2025, the resident reported that although ceilings and roof works were finished, skylight issues remained. The kitchen skylight was replaced, but its casing was not weatherproof. The bathroom skylight was not replaced because the contractor brought an incorrectly sized unit in July 2025 and reinstated the old one instead.
14. In November 2025, the landlord confirmed that a skylight repair was still outstanding and scheduled for 14 November 2025 – despite its final response committing to completion in January 2025. This represents a delay of almost one year, causing worry as the resident feared repeat leaks. The landlord provided no evidence explaining the delay, and in the absence of such information, the lack of resolution undermines its attempts to remedy its failings.
15. Overall, the landlord handled repairs poorly and failed to act with the necessary urgency given the resident’s circumstances. Our remedies guidance suggests awards from £1,000 for failures over a lengthy period that significantly impact residents. The landlord acted in line with this by offering £1,000, and its other actions – apologising and agreeing to replace the roof and skylights – were reasonable and proportionate.
16. Nevertheless, the landlord failed to honour its commitment to replace skylights promptly. Despite planning to attend in August 2025, skylight issues remain unresolved by November 2025.

Complaint	Repairs to bin shed
Finding	Reasonable redress

17. The resident reported issues with the bin store in April 2024. On 30 September 2024, the resident chased the landlord and was told follow-up works were pending an asbestos test, raising expectations of further repairs. That same day, the landlord asked its contractor to raise a job for asbestos in the bin shed. By November 2024, a surveyor confirmed the bin shed was safe with no trip hazards.
18. The resident complained about the bin shed saying it was unsafe. In its complaint responses the landlord acknowledged the delay responding to the resident’s reports. It explained there had previously been repairs, and had arranged a November 2024 surveyor inspection, which confirmed the bin store was safe with no trip hazards. No further repairs were raised as the surveyor deemed previous repairs were  sufficient and noted the bin shed was an outhouse that did not affect the resident’s occupation of his home.
19. The landlord apologised for the delay and offered compensation for the inconvenience. However, it did not specify how much of the total compensation related to the shed delay or provide a detailed breakdown. Despite this lack of clarity, the landlord acted fairly by acknowledging the delay, apologising, and making an offer of compensation. Based on the total amount offered, it is reasonable to assume that part of it covered the delay from April to September 2024. When assessed against the landlord’s compensation policy and the Ombudsman’s remedies guidance, the amount offered was appropriate for a failing of this nature and extent.
20. Overall, following its initial significant delay the landlord took reasonable steps to inspect the shed. Its decision that there was no repair issues with it are supported by the evidence, and the apologies and compensation it offered for the delay were reasonable.
21. In March 2025, the resident reported to the landlord that the temporary repairs were inadequate, there were asbestos hazards, and unsafe timber. A recommendation has been made in light of these ongoing concerns.

Complaint	Complaint handling
Finding	Reasonable redress

22. The complaint was made to the landlord on 14 May 2024. It issued its stage 1 response on 27 June 2024, over a month later and beyond its 10-working-day target. It acknowledged the delay and offered £75 compensation in its stage 1 complaint response.
23. After escalation in September 2024, the landlord provided its final stage 2 response in November 2024 – over 2 months late and well beyond its 20-working-day target. It failed to give any written explanation or revised timescales, contrary to its policy. Indeed, there was no communication at all in October 2024.
24. Both responses exceeded its policy timescales. However, the final response recognised its failings, apologised and increased compensation to £275, reasonably addressing the delays, and time and inconvenience caused.

Learning

Knowledge information management (record keeping) and Communication

25. In this case, the landlord’s record keeping was satisfactory. However, as explained in the report, there are lessons it can learn from this complaint in how it communicates with residents and keeps them updated on its plans and actions.