Karbon Homes Limited (202414561)

Background

1. The resident complained about delayed repair work to a bathroom radiator. When escalating a complaint about the delayed repairs, the resident raised concerns about how the complaint was handled and the impact this had on his mental health.

What the complaint is about

2. This complaint is about the landlord’s response to the resident’s:
   1. Repairs to a radiator.
   2. Associated complaint.

Our decision (determination)

3. We have found that there was:

1. Reasonable redress in the landlord’s handling of the radiator repair.
2. Service failure in its handling of the associated complaint.

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

Summary of reasons

Radiator repair

4. The landlord and resident agree that the repair work was delayed unreasonably, and this caused inconvenience and distress. The landlord has since completed the works and paid a reasonable amount of compensation. It also committed to improving its repairs process and labour resources to prevent future delays.

Complaint handling

5. The stage 1 response failed to acknowledge all the residents complaint issues but the landlord acknowledged this and provided an amended stage 1 response. It considered this and the comments made by the resident in its stage 2 response and apologised for the inconvenience and distress caused. By sending an amended stage 1 response, the landlord created a third stage in its complaint process, which moved away from its published 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.

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 and the landlord both accept that delays occurred in the repair work, including the replacement of the bathroom radiator. The landlord acknowledged these delays in its stage 1 and stage 2 responses, as well as in its response to the complaint issued in March 2024.
7. The landlord’s tenant handbook and assured tenancy terms confirm that it should complete repair work within a reasonable timescale. However, neither document specifies exact timescales. The landlord’s Repairs and Maintenance Policy states that it should complete standard repairs within 20 working days.
8. The resident initially raised their complaint because they were unhappy with the time taken to complete the works required following a property inspection in October 2023. The landlord arranged for some works to be completed on 27 February 2024, as the resident confirmed a plumber attended and completed some work on that date.
9. In its stage 1 response, the landlord confirmed that it did not order the replacement radiator until 12 March 2024. Further delays then occurred because the supplier did not have the required parts available. By delaying the radiator order, the landlord failed to meet its commitment to complete repair work within a reasonable timeframe.
10. In its March 2024 complaint response, the landlord apologised to the resident for the delays and paid £250 in compensation on 13 March 2024. The resident then escalated the stage 1 complaint after the landlord cancelled scheduled repair appointments on 30 April 2024 and 7 May 2024 at short notice. As part of the complaint process, the landlord offered £50 and later increased this to £100 in compensation. This comprised £50 for the delayed radiator repair and £25 for each missed appointment.
11. The landlord’s Compensation and Goodwill Payments Policy sets compensation for missed appointments at £20, meaning the landlord offered more than its policy requires. The same policy states that a service failure may warrant compensation of between £50 and £100, depending on the circumstances. The compensation offered by the landlord, and upheld at both stage 1 and stage 2, fell in line with its published policy.
12. In summary, the landlord accepted that unreasonable delays occurred and offered compensation that resolved the complaint in the circumstances. It also committed to improving its parts ordering processes and internal labour resources to reduce repair waiting times. The landlord completed the repair during the complaint process, and no further action is required to resolve the issue.

13. The landlord uses a two-stage complaints process, which complies with the Complaint Handling Code. The landlord issued its complaint responses within the expected timescales.
14. The resident raised the complaint on 30 April 2024, and the landlord sent a stage 1 acknowledgement on 3 May 2024. The landlord then issued the stage 1 response on 20 May 2024, which met both the promised deadline and its policy timescale.
15. The resident raised specific points for the landlord to address in the stage 1 response. The landlord initially failed to address those points, which required the resident to challenge the response. Following this, the landlord agreed to revise the stage 1 response. The revised response considered the cancelled appointment on 7 May 2024, which the original stage 1 response had not mentioned.
16. While the landlord failed to acknowledge the resident’s complaint issues fully in its 20 May 2024 stage 1 response. It provided an amended response, which covered all the points raised, on 28 May 2024. This effectively added an extra stage to the complaint process, which did not comply with the landlord’s two-stage complaint policy.
17. The resident requested escalation to stage 2, and the landlord sent a stage 2 acknowledgement on 4 June 2024. This confirmed the stage 2 response would be provided by 2 July 2024.
18. However, the landlord wrote to the resident on 2 July 2024 to confirm an extension was needed to provide the stage 2 response. . It then sent the stage 2 response on 9 July 2024. The landlord maintained the compensation offer from the stage 1 response and gave an apology, acknowledging the inconvenience caused
19. In summary, the landlord made some errors in its handling of the complaint. An order to apologise to the resident will be made.

Learning

Knowledge information management (record keeping)

20. The landlord’s records were detailed enough to allow for the investigation into its handling of the complaint.
21. The resident told us on several occasions during this complaint and in previous years that he had explained to the landlord that he experiences anxiety. Despite this, the landlord confirmed that it had not recorded any additional support needs for the resident. It would be reasonable and good practice for the landlord to contact the resident to assess his current circumstances, identify any additional needs, and determine what reasonable adjustments he may require.

Communication

22. The resident commented that the late communication regarding appointments had a negative impact on his wellbeing. Overall, the landlord kept well in contact with the resident once he raised the complaint.