London & Quadrant Housing Trust (202542202)

Background

1. The resident complained to the landlord because it did not renew her bathroom and kitchen during her tenancy, which began in 2003. She said it assessed both for renewal but was unhappy it did not get back to her. She said the condition of her bathroom and kitchen deteriorated.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of the resident’s:
   1. Bathroom and kitchen renewal requests.
   2. Complaint.

Our decision (determination)

3. We found:
   1. Service failure in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s bathroom and kitchen renewal requests.
   2. The landlord offered reasonable redress for its handling of the resident’s complaint.

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

Summary of reasons

The landlord’s handling of the resident’s bathroom and kitchen renewal requests

4. The landlord’s communication was poor. It apologised for this in its stage 2 response and offered compensation. Its offer was not proportionate to the failings we identified.

The landlord’s handling of the resident’s complaint

5. The landlord did not acknowledge the resident’s complaint escalation in line with its complaints policy timescale. Its stage 2 acknowledgement and response was inaccurate. It offered compensation for its poor complaint handling, which was in line with our compensation guidance for the failings we found.

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.

Recommendations

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

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

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.

6. The resident said the landlord assessed her bathroom and kitchen for renewal in 2024 and told her it would renew both. The landlord did not provide us a copy of its inspection or its communications with the resident in 2024 about her renewal. It said it did not have a renewal referral record and said it attended in 2024 following a damp and mould report. In the absence of evidence, we are unable to determine what it agreed in 2024 about the resident’s bathroom and kitchen renewal.
7. The resident contacted the landlord in August 2025 for an update. She saidit upgraded bathrooms and kitchens in other flats but did not renew hers, and the condition had worsened.She said it assessed both last year and told her it would be renewed. The landlord did not respond, which caused the resident time and trouble complaining.
8. In her complaint, the resident said her bathroom and kitchen floor, and her kitchen units and plinths were in poor condition. She reported a cracked door bar at the kitchen entrance and raised safety concerns for her and her elderly mum, who lived with her. She was unhappy the landlord did not get back to her and requested it renewed her bathroom and kitchen.
9. In its stage 1 response, the landlord said it had no plans to renew her bathroom and kitchen in its current financial year and raised work for the reported repairs. This was in line with its major works referral procedure which said if a component was not planned for renewal, it should confirm this to the resident and arrange repairs.
10. The resident remained unhappy and told the landlord her home did not meet the decent homes standard. The landlord’s major works procedure said a kitchen failed the standard where three or more key items required major repair or replacement, and a bathroom failed where two or more items did. The reported issues did not meet this threshold. Its procedure also says if it was not feasible to complete a repair it would assess it for renewal. The landlord completed the kitchen repair work in October 2025 and the flooring work in January 2026.
11. In its stage 2 response, the landlord apologised for its poor communication about the resident’s bathroom and kitchen renewal. It said it escalated the matter and would be in contact but did not get back to her. It told the resident it made a referral to its major works team due to the age of the bathroom and kitchen. The landlord told us it could not find a formal referral and so the renewal did not progress through its normal process to log, assess, prioritise and track referrals.
12. After our intervention, the landlord told us it recently completed a review and added the resident’s bathroom and kitchen renewal to its 2026/2027 planned work program. It said it would write to the resident to confirm and advise on next steps. We have ordered it to update the resident about this.
13. Overall, the landlord’s communication was poor. It did not respond to the resident, which caused her time and trouble complaining and bringing her complaint to us, and it did not follow its major works referral procedure. In view of this, we found service failure.
14. In its stage 2 response, the landlord apologised for its lack of communication and offered £40 compensation for the inconvenience it caused her, which the resident told us she has received. We have ordered the landlord to pay the resident an additional £100 for the distress and inconvenience its poor communication and handling of the resident’s bathroom and kitchen renewal caused her. This is in line with our compensation guidance for failings where the landlord made an offer of compensation but does not quite reflect the detriment to the resident, and is not proportionate to the failings we identified.

15. The landlord’s complaints policy says it will respond at stage 1 within 10 working days, and at stage 2 within 20 working days of an escalation request. The landlord’s definition of a complaint and response timescales are in line with our Code.
16. While the landlord sent its stage 1 and 2 complaint response in line with its policy timescale, it sent its stage 2 acknowledgement 8 working days after the resident escalated her complaint. This was not in line with its policy which says it will acknowledge stage 2 complaints within 5 working days.
17. The landlord’s stage 2 acknowledgement and complaint response was inaccurate. Its acknowledgment was titled as a stage 1 acknowledgement, and its response said the resident complained on a date 2 days after her complaint
18. In its stage 2 response the landlord offered £20 for its poor complaint handling, which the resident said she has received. This compensation was proportionate to the failings we identified. It is also in line with our compensation guidance for failings which did not affect the overall outcome for the resident. In view of this, we find the landlord offered reasonable redress in its handling of the resident’s complaint and have not ordered any further compensation.

Learning

19. It was positive the landlord took action following the resident bringing her complaint to us. However, the resident should not have needed to complain to us for it to review the case and progress her renewal. It should learn from this case with regards to managing and handling renewal work.
20. The landlord said there was no existing policy around major works and said it uses internal programming principles and strategic guidance for its decision making process. It should consider having a separate policy for major and planned work.
21. When acknowledging failings and offering compensation, the landlord should ensure it is clear what the failings were.

Knowledge information management (record keeping)

22. The landlord should ensure it keeps a record of all its communication with residents to demonstrate how it managed expectations.

Communication

23. The landlord should consider how it can improve its communication with residents for programmed and renewal work.