Home Group Limited (202503595)

Decision
Case ID	202503595
Decision type	Investigation
Landlord	Home Group Limited
Landlord type	Housing Association
Occupancy	Assured Tenancy
Date	19 March 2026

Background

The resident lives in a semi-detached house. He said damp and mould in the property had impacted his and his wife’s health. Although the landlord has since resolved the issue, the resident was concerned that it had not addressed the underlying cause and that damp and mould would return.

What the complaint is about

The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of the resident’s:
1. Reports of damp and mould.
2. Associated complaint.

Our decision (determination)

We have found that there was:
1. Maladministration regarding the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of damp and mould.
2. Reasonable redress regarding the landlord’s complaint handling.

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

Summary of reasons

Damp and mould

The landlord undertook several inspections and numerous repair visits over a prolonged period. The resident experienced delays in works being completed and expressed concern that the landlord had not resolved the root cause of damp and mould, which returned in early October 2025. The resident repeatedly raised concerns about the impact of damp and mould on his and his wife’s health. However, there is no evidence that the landlord completed a risk assessment or considered any temporary measures until after it issued a stage 2 complaint response.

Complaint handling

The landlord issued detailed complaint responses and offered compensation for the length of time taken to issue a stage 1 complaint response despite responding within the timeframes specified in its complaints policy.

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 16 April 2026
2	Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident compensation totalling £1,050 that it previously offered. This must be paid directly to the resident by the due date. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of payment by the due date and may deduct any payments it has already made.	No later than 16 April 2026
3	Inspection order The landlord must contact the resident to arrange an inspection. It must take all reasonable steps to ensure the inspection is completed by the due date. The inspection must be completed by an externally appointed independent surveyor with expertise to complete the type of inspection required. If the surveyor cannot gain access to complete the inspection, the landlord must provide us with documentary evidence of attempts made to inspect the property no later than the due date. What the inspection must achieve The landlord must ensure that the surveyor: Inspects inside the property for damp and mould throughout 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 The most likely cause of the damp and mould A full scope of works to achieve a lasting and effective resolution to the issue 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 16 April 2026
4	Compensation order The landlord must consider whether any additional compensation is due to reflect the delay in completing repairs for damp and mould from the date of its stage 2 response until the date it completes the outstanding works. It must write to the resident to confirm its decision.	No later than 16 April 2026

Recommendations

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

Our recommendations
As a finding of reasonable redress has been made based on the landlord’s offer of compensation in relation to its complaint handling, it should pay the £75 compensation offered.

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

Date	What happened
3 January 2025	The resident raised a formal complaint. The key points were as follows: Damp and mould had been ongoing since he moved into the property 30 years prior and was worse than ever. A contractor said soot in the chimney had caused damp and that there must be a problem with the roof. A surveyor suggested a heated vent would resolve the problem, but this was not affordable to the resident. He had asthma and his wife had cancer and a low immune system. He was exhausted with trying to resolve this, which was making him depressed and he believed would be the death of him or his wife.
6 January 2025	The landlord acknowledged the complaint.
16 January 2025	The landlord issued its stage 1 complaint response. The key points were as follows: It provided a timeline of events from when the resident reported damp and mould on 8 November 2023, which included various visits and works completed. A surveyor had visited on 8 January 2025, following which the landlord had raised further jobs. It apologised for the length of time taken to complete work within the resident’s home. It offered compensation totalling £475, comprised of £75 for disruption caused, £100 for delays, £150 due to the number of appointments needed to resolve the issue, £75 for the resident’s time and effort, and £75 for distress caused to the resident.
19 February 2025	The resident asked to escalate his complaint to stage 2. The key points were as follows: The work completed was inadequate. The poor condition of the property due to damp and mould was affecting his and his wife’s physical and mental health. He had to keep dragging his mattress downstairs to sleep in the living room due to damp and mould in his bedroom. The compensation offered did not reflect the years that he had been complaining about damp and mould.
19 February 2025	The landlord acknowledged the resident’s escalation request.
17 March 2025	The landlord issued its stage 2 complaint response. The key points were as follows: It apologised for its delayed stage 1 complaint response as well as its delays, multiple visits and lack of communication in response to the resident’s reports of damp and mould. It had completed further works to resolve the damp and mould issue on 26 February 2025. It increased its total compensation offer to £1,125. This comprised of £75 due to the resident reporting issues multiple times, £75 for ongoing issues since 2023, £150 for being unable to use 2 bedrooms due to damp and mould, £100 for multiple inspections and jobs raised, £100 for the time taken to complete jobs, £150 for the number of appointments needed to resolve the issue, £150 for not responding to update requests and failed communication from engineers, £75 for the resident’s time and effort chasing updates and reporting issues, £175 for distress and inconvenience caused to the resident and his family, and £75 for its delayed stage 1 response.
6 May 2025	The resident referred his complaint to us. He has since told us that damp and mould returned in the property in early October 2025. The resident has requested that the landlord provides a lasting solution to this issue.

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	Landlord’s handling of reports of damp and mould
Finding	Maladministration

What we have not investigated

We would expect a resident to raise a formal complaint with the landlord within 12 months of an issue arising. However, as the landlord’s complaint responses addressed damp and mould issues going as far back as 8 November 2023, this investigation will also consider how the landlord approached matters starting from this point, and subsequently up to its final stage 2 response on 17 March 2025.
The resident said this situation had a detrimental impact on his mental health as well as his and his wife’s physical health. The courts are the most effective place for disputes about personal injury and illness. We cannot decide causation or liability for personal injury like a court can. However, we can consider the overall impact of the situation on the resident. We have considered the landlord’s compensation offers within our general assessment of its handling of repair works. If the resident wants to pursue a personal injury claim, he may wish to seek independent legal advice.

What we have investigated

On 8 November 2023, the resident reported damp and mould. The landlord did not have a damp and mould policy at that time. Due to vulnerabilities in the household, the landlord raised a job to complete an inspection within 24 hours. However, it did not take place until 17 November 2023. The landlord has not provided evidence of why the inspection was delayed or any details of the inspection, which may indicate an issue with its record keeping.
The landlord raised remedial works following the inspection. Although it repaired the bathroom fan on 27 November 2023, there was a significant delay in undertaking any other works until July 2024. The landlord’s failure to complete works in a timely manner prompted the resident to pursue repairs. On some occasions the landlord raised jobs that it subsequently cancelled and then raised with a different contractor. This undoubtedly contributed to the delays and highlights a lack of an effective system to track and monitor repairs.
A total of 4 inspections and 14 repair visits took place over a period of more than 14 months from when the resident reported damp and mould on 8 November 2023 up until the landlord’s stage 2 complaint response on 17 March 2025. During this time, due to a lack of updates as well dissatisfaction regarding repair works and delays, the resident contacted the landlord on at least 16 occasions. The landlord acknowledged in its complaint responses that it had failed to keep the resident updated and that it did not always respond to his contacts, which likely caused him inconvenience.
Our Spotlight report on damp and mould recommends that landlords adopt a zero-tolerance approach to damp and mould interventions. The resident repeatedly raised concerns about the impact of damp and mould on his and his wife’s health. He said he had to sleep downstairs and drag his mattress up and downstairs. The landlord has compensated the resident for the loss of 2 bedrooms, however, there is no evidence that it completed a risk assessment or considered any temporary measures, such as temporary accommodation. This was not appropriate and demonstrates a lack of empathy for the resident’s situation.
The resident remained concerned that the landlord had not addressed the root cause of damp and mould, which he has since told us returned in early October 2025. The landlord’s failure to resolve this issue despite several inspections and numerous repairs over a prolonged period, combined with the household’s known vulnerabilities, has led to a finding of maladministration.
When responding to the resident’s complaint, the landlord identified various service failings. It appropriately offered compensation totalling £1,050 in recognition of the impact of its failings on the resident and his family. As this falls in line with our remedies guidance, we have not awarded further compensation for the period up to when the landlord issued its stage 2 complaint response.
The landlord now has a damp, mould and condensation policy, which became effective on 3 February 2026.

Complaint	Complaint handling
Finding	Reasonable redress

Our Complaint Handling Code (the Code) sets out when and how a landlord should respond to complaints. The relevant Code in this case is the 2024 edition. The landlord has a published complaints policy that complies with the terms of the Code in respect of timescales.
The resident raised a formal complaint on 3 January 2025. In accordance with its complaints policy, the landlord should have acknowledged the complaint within 5 working days and issued a stage 1 response within a further 10 working days, which it did. Therefore, it complied with the timeframes specified in its complaints policy.
The resident asked to escalate his complaint on 19 February 2025. In accordance with its complaints policy, the landlord should have acknowledged the escalation request within 5 working days and issued a stage 2 response within a further 20 working days, which it did. Therefore, it complied with the timeframes specified in its complaints policy.
It is unclear why the landlord apologised and offered compensation for a delay in responding at stage 1 despite acting in line with the timeframes specified in its complaints policy. However, its complaint responses provided a detailed record of actions taken in response to the resident’s reports of damp and mould. It also acknowledged distress and inconvenience caused to the household by its service failings, for which it appropriately awarded compensation. Therefore, we have made a finding of reasonable redress regarding the landlord’s complaint handling.

Learning

Knowledge and information management (record keeping)

The landlord’s record keeping was poor in this case. It was unclear why there were delays in works going ahead, which prompted the resident to pursue updates. The landlord must consider completing a self-assessment against our spotlight report on Knowledge and Information Management, if it has not already done so.

Communication

The landlord’s communication in this case was poor. It needs to ensure that it has processes and procedures in place that enable effective and regular communication with its residents. In this case, the landlord failed to keep in regular contact with the resident to update him regarding repairs. Good communication plays a key role in an effective repairs system, and the landlord must consider how it can improve its communication with residents.