Sovereign Network Group (202542993)

Background

1. The resident’s complaint concerns delays in the replacement of a communal entrance door. While emergency repairs were carried out in January 2025 and contractors confirmed that a full replacement was necessary, the issue remained unresolved for several months. This continued after the landlord issued its final response.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of the replacement of the communal entrance door.

Our decision (determination)

3. We found there was service failure in the landlord’s handling of the replacement of the communal entrance door.

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

Reasons

4. The landlord has responsibility for external and communal repairs and aims to complete planned works within 90 days, although timescales may be extended during busier periods.
5. In its stage 2 response of 12 November 2025, the landlord accepted that there had been significant delays and upheld the complaint. It acknowledged the resident’s dissatisfaction and confirmed that while emergency and temporary repairs had been completed, the permanent replacement was delayed. These delays were attributed to contractor failures, rejected quotations, and poor follow‑up and communication
6. The stage 2 response was appropriately apologetic. The landlord accepted responsibility for failing to meet its service standards and recognised that the door should have been replaced by April 2025. It awarded £403 in discretionary compensation for distress and time and trouble, which the resident accepted. However, an error was made in calculating the total amount within the response, and the correct figure should have been £465.
7. Also, despite stating in its stage 2 response that the door would be replaced by 18 November 2025, the landlord did not complete the works until February 2026, a further delay of 12 weeks. No additional compensation was offered for this period. The landlord therefore failed to act within the timescales it set and did not provide further redress for the ongoing delay.
8. In the circumstances, the compensation offered by the landlord was not proportionate to the full period of delay experienced. For fairness and consistency, we have therefore calculated an additional award of £180, using the same compensation framework and weekly rates applied by the landlord in its stage 2 response. This reflects the further 12 week delay beyond the date the landlord said the repair should have been completed and recognises the continued impact on the resident after the formal complaints process had ended.

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.