Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (202333957)

Decision
Case ID	202333957
Decision type	Investigation
Landlord	Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council
Landlord type	Local Authority / ALMO or TMO
Occupancy	Secure Tenancy
Date	26 June 2026

Background

The resident has a flat in a low-rise block. The landlord provides cleaning services to the block’s shared areas. The resident contributes to its costs through service charges. From May 2023 onwards, she contacted the landlord multiple times about its cleaning service. She cited missed cleaning sessions and quality issues with some of the cleaning that had been completed.
During its complaints process, the landlord initially upheld the complaint. Among other actions, it said it would arrange a deep clean to address the resident’s concerns. Around 5 months later, the landlord changed its position in its final response. It said that the block’s internal areas met its required cleaning standards. In contrast, it reiterated that the block would benefit from a deep clean.

What the complaint is about

The complaint is about the landlord’s response to the resident’s concerns about its cleaning service.

Our decision (determination)

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

Summary of reasons

At the end of its complaints process, the landlord had not awarded any compensation or completed a deep clean. We have seen information that points to gaps in its cleaning records.
We contacted the landlord and provided it with a summary of our understanding of events. This included some comments on areas that could have been handled better and what the landlord can do to resolve the resident’s complaint.
Following our intervention, the landlord offered to:
1. Apologise to the resident.
2. Pay her £250 in compensation.
3. Review its processes for monitoring the standard of cleaning in the block.
Both parties (the resident and the landlord) agreed to this as a resolution to the complaint.
We are therefore satisfied that, following our intervention, the landlord has agreed to take actions to remedy the matters. Providing that it implements the agreed resolution, we are satisfied the complaint will be resolved fairly.

Putting things right

Recommendations

The complaint has been resolved with intervention on the basis the landlord agrees to follow our recommendations.

Our recommendations
The landlord should within 28 days: Provide the resident with a written apology. Pay the resident £250 in compensation. Complete a management level review of its processes for monitoring cleaning standards in the block. As part of its review, it should visit the block to establish whether a deep clean is required. It should share its review’s findings with the resident. If it identifies improvements, the landlord should include a time-limited action plan (to address these) in its letter. The landlord should provide documentary evidence that it has completed the above actions within the specified timescale.

Our recommendations

The landlord should within 28 days:

Provide the resident with a written apology.
Pay the resident £250 in compensation.
Complete a management level review of its processes for monitoring cleaning standards in the block. As part of its review, it should visit the block to establish whether a deep clean is required. It should share its review’s findings with the resident. If it identifies improvements, the landlord should include a time-limited action plan (to address these) in its letter.

The landlord should provide documentary evidence that it has completed the above actions within the specified timescale.