Southern Housing (202405885)

Decision
Case ID	202405885
Decision type	Investigation
Landlord	Southern Housing
Landlord type	Housing Association
Occupancy	Assured Tenancy
Date	29 May 2026

Background

1. The resident lives in a top-floor flat with her daughter. She has mental health conditions and her daughter has asthma, which the landlord is aware of. The resident reported damp and mould and loss of heating from her storage heaters. A landlord surveyor attended on 20 June 2023 and identified several required works, both to the roof and internally. The resident later complained that no works had been completed following this visit and said that the issues with mould and her storage heaters were ongoing.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of the resident’s concerns about:
   1. Damp and mould and associated repairs.
   2. Storage heaters.
3. We have also investigated the landlord’s complaint handling.

Our decision (determination)

4. We found service failure in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s concerns about:
   1. Damp and mould and associated repairs.
   2. Storage heaters.
5. We found reasonable redress in the landlord’s complaint handling.

We have made an order for the landlord to put things right.

Summary of reasons

Concerns about damp and mould and associated repairs

6. Although the landlord apologised and accepted it delayed the required damp and mould repairs, it failed to replace the extractor fan within a reasonable timeframe, despite confirming it would do so.

Concerns about storage heaters

7. The landlord acknowledged there were delays in replacing the storage heaters during winter months and offered reasonable remedies to reflect this. However, it did not address her concerns about the financial strain caused by using temporary heaters.

Complaint handling

8. While there was a delay in escalating the complaint to stage 2, the landlord recognised its error and offered appropriate remedies that put matters right.

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.

Order

Landlords must comply with our order in the manner and timescales we specify. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of compliance with our order by the due date set.

Order	What the landlord must do	Due date
1	Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident £855 made up of: £555 as offered in its final response, if it has not already done so. £100 for the distress and inconvenience caused by its handling of her concerns about damp and mould and associated repairs.  £200 for the distress and inconvenience caused by its handling of her concerns about storage heaters.   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 26 June 2026

Recommendation

Our recommendation is not binding, and a landlord may decide not to follow it.

Our recommendation
The landlord should pay the resident the £115 compensation it offered in its stage 2 response if it has not already done so. We found reasonable redress for its complaint handling based on the amount being paid.

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

Date	What happened
1 November 2023	The resident complained to the landlord about mould affecting multiple rooms and damaging her belongings. She said a surveyor identified repairs needed to the roof and guttering as well as inside the property but these were not completed. She added she had been left without heating for 11 weeks and that work to replace the storage heaters remained outstanding. She said that this caused financial strain as she used temporary fan heaters.
16 November 2023	The landlord issued its stage 1 response. It acknowledged delays dating back to December 2022. It outlined the key outstanding issues, including delays in arranging a surveyor, lack of progress following a June 2023 visit, faulty heaters and cancelled replacement works, and the need for further roof and gutter checks. It apologised for the impact on the resident and committed to arrange inspections for all outstanding repairs within 4 weeks.
2 January 2024	The resident escalated the complaint. She said no repairs had been completed, and reiterated there was ongoing mould, and faulty storage heaters and extractor fans. She said the landlord cancelled previous appointments and failed to complete agreed works.
30 April 2024	The landlord issued its final stage 2 response. It apologised for delays in escalating the complaint and completing repairs. It accepted service failures, including poor record keeping and delays. It confirmed the storage heaters were replaced in January 2024 and the roof was found to be in good condition in March 2024. It did, however, note the extractor fan replacement was outstanding and committed to complete this by 14 May 2024. It upheld the complaint, identified learning and offered £670 compensation for the impact, delays, and inconvenience caused.
Referral to the Ombudsman	The resident told us the landlord delayed repairs and failed to address widespread damp and mould. She said she was left without reliable heating for an extended period, with missed appointments and no temporary support. Although roof and extractor fan works were eventually completed, she remained dissatisfied with the delays. As an outcome, she wanted increased compensation and to be rehoused.

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	Concerns about damp and mould and associated repairs
Finding	Service failure

9. The resident complained about ongoing mould and said the landlord failed to resolve it despite repeated reports. In response, the landlord apologised for delays, offered compensation, arranged mould treatments, and committed to repairs, including replacing the extractor fan.
10. The evidence shows the resident reported mould in June 2023. The landlord inspected the property on 20 June 2023. The survey found works were required and noted the resident said defective guttering above the property was a likely cause.
11. The landlord said it completed roof and guttering cleaning work in September 2023 – 2 months after the June 2023 survey. It also said its contractor would undertake preventative roof maintenance every 6 months. However, its repair records do not support this, and the resident reported in November 2023 and January 2024 no works occurred after June 2023, apart from one mould wash. In February 2024, she told the landlord she felt external defects remained the main cause of the mould and that some internal bathroom works were still incomplete.
12. The landlord later scheduled its contractor to complete a roof clean on 25 March 2024 to ensure all guttering was clear and check for any leaks. The final response explained the roof was in good condition. However, there is no evidence in the repair records that the cleaning was completed, and the resident has told us she was not sure if this was done.
13. In its April 2024 final response, the landlord acknowledged delays, poor communication, and failure to complete repairs within a reasonable timeframe. The landlord signposted the resident to insurance routes for damaged belongings, apologised and offered £555 compensation. However, it did not break this offer down between each of the different complaint elements.
14. Due to the lack of a clear breakdown, we have divided the total between the two man complaint elements, meaning the landlord offered £277.50 for the delays and poor handling of this issue. This amount broadly aligned with our compensation guidance and reasonably reflected the detriment caused by the initial delays following the June 2023 survey.
15. However, the landlord identified the extractor fan issue in June 2023 but did not complete the replacement until December 2024, around 18 months later. It did not provide a clear explanation for this delay. This exceeded the final response commitment to complete the action by 14 May 2024 by over 6 months. Despite it committing to improve its damp and mould management through a dedicated follow‑up approach and being aware of the resident’s household’s circumstances, the landlord did not take prompt action to complete the outstanding work.

Complaint	Concerns about storage heaters
Finding	Service failure

16. Under the tenancy agreement and repairs policy, the landlord is responsible for maintaining the provision of adequate heating within the property. This included an obligation to ensure systems were kept in good repair and working order, and to respond promptly where issues arose. Loss of heating constitutes a potential health and safety risk which requires timely and appropriate remedial action.
17. On 11 September 2023, the landlord received correspondence from the resident’s mental health professional stating that the heating was “not working efficiently”. The resident complained in November 2023 that the heaters had not yet been replaced. The landlord acted reasonably in attempting to arrange access around the resident’s availability. However, it committed to completing the work within 4 weeks and failed to meet this timescale.
18. Given the colder period between 31 October and 30 April, the landlord should have treated the complaint about the storage heaters not being replaced with greater urgency. The landlord did not attend the property until 5 December 2023, over one month after the complaint and almost 3 months after it was first made aware of a potential issue. However, the resident confirmed she had access to electric fan heaters. This mitigated the impact of any reduced heating performance.
19. On 5 December 2023, the landlord attended the property, found 5 faulty heaters and arranged replacement works. The landlord completed the replacement of the storage heaters on 8 January 2024.
20. In its final complaint response the landlord acknowledged there had been delays in its handling of the repairs. It apologised, and, based on our division of the total amount referred to above, offered £277.50 compensation. Taking into account the resident’s access to alternative heaters and the completion of works in January 2024, this amount was broadly in line with our compensation guidance and reasonably reflected the inconvenience and delay following the resident’s complaint in November 2023.
21. However, the resident had said in her complaint that running the temporary heaters had made her incur increased expenses. The landlord did not address or respond to that point. It should have, given the scale and nature of the repairs, the time of year, and its delays, and also because our Complaint Handling Code (the Code) makes clear a complaint response must address each complaint element. Not doing so meant the complaint was not fully resolved. We have made a compensation order in line with our guidance to remedy this failing and put things right.

Complaint	Complaint handling
Finding	Reasonable redress

22. At the time of the complaint, the landlord operated a 2‑stage complaints policy. It aimed to provide a stage 1 response within 10 working days and a stage 2 response within 20 working days. Its definition of a complaint and these response timescales were in line with the Code.
23. The resident complained on 1 November 2023 and the landlord issued its stage 1 response within policy timescales. The resident escalated the complaint on 2 January 2024. Although the landlord replied the following day to confirm it would escalate the complaint, it did not formally acknowledge the stage 2 complaint until 22 March 2024. It then issued its stage 2 response on 30 April 2024 – 170 working days after the escalation and well outside its policy timescales.
24. The landlord acknowledged that it delayed escalating the complaint. It explained this was because the resident’s request had not been passed to the complaints team. It also apologised and identified learning, confirming it had fed back internally to ensure escalation requests are sent directly to the complaints team to minimise delays.
25. The landlord offered £115 compensation. This amount aligns with our guidance where there has been a significant delay, over several months, which affected the timely resolution of the dispute.
26. Overall, the delay caused understandable frustration. However, the landlord acknowledged its failings, apologised, identified learning, and offered proportionate compensation. These remedies adequately put matters right.

Learning

Knowledge information management (record keeping)

27. The landlord’s repair record keeping was inadequate. Its repair records did not show all actions it said it had taken. Landlords should ensure records show reported, carried out and completed dates, so it can be understood what happened and why. This lack of clarity caused uncertainty. The landlord should review our Spotlight on Knowledge and Information Management and its recommendations for accurate, consistent records.

Communication

28. Considering the delay in its stage 2 response, the landlord should review our Spotlight on Complaint Handling, which highlights the importance of clear accountability, timely responses and proactive engagement to resolve concerns early. It should also ensure its compensation offers clearly itemise each element of the complaint, specifying the amount awarded for each issue.
29. There were also missed opportunities to keep the resident informed following the June 2023 survey and after she reported her concerns about storage heaters in September 2023. While communication improved after the complaint, the landlord should ensure updates are provided consistently and promptly to build trust and minimise uncertainty.