Sanctuary Housing Association (202524943)

Decision
Case ID	202524943
Decision type	Investigation
Landlord	Sanctuary Housing Association
Landlord type	Housing Association
Occupancy	Secure Tenancy
Date	30 January 2026

Background

The resident reported damp and mould in her property in May 2024. Later that month she reported paving repairs.

What the complaint is about

The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of:
1. Damp and mould repairs.
2. Paving repairs.
3. Shed repairs.
4. The complaint.

Our decision (determination)

We found maladministration in the landlord’s handling of:
1. damp and mould repairs.
2. paving repairs.
3. the complaint.
We found that the resident’s concern about shed repairs is not currently within our jurisdiction to investigate.

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

Summary of reasons

The landlord delayed progressing work to address damp and mould at the resident’s property and did not consider interim work, such as a mould wash.
The landlord delayed completing paving repairs and did not appropriately communicate with the resident to update her about the progress of work.
The landlord’s complaint handling did not acknowledge the extent of its failings. It did not ensure the resident was made fully aware of when all her repair issues would be resolved.
The resident’s concerns about the shed repairs have not yet exhausted the landlord’s complaints procedure.

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.

Order	What the landlord must do	Due date
1	Apology order The landlord must apologise in writing to the resident for the failures identified in this report. The landlord must ensure: The apology is provided by a senior member of staff. The apology is specific to the failures identified in this decision, meaningful and empathetic. It has due regard to our apologies guidance.	No later than 27 February 2026
2	Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident £1,450 made up as follows: £1,000 for the impact of failings in its handling of damp and mould repairs. £300 for the impact of failings in its handling of paving repairs. £150 for the impact of failings in its handling of the complaint. The above award replaces the landlord’s previous award. Any payment already made to the resident should be deducted from the total.	No later than 27 February 2026
3	The landlord must contact the resident to inspect her concerns about damp in her bedroom(s). It should then provide her with a schedule of any work identified and a timescale for completion in line with its damp and mould and repairs policies. It should also consider whether any interim work/action is appropriate in advance of repairs.	No later than 27 February 2026
4	The landlord must take all steps to ensure that repairs to the resident’s paving are completed promptly and in any event by the due date. If the landlord cannot complete the works in this time, it must explain to us, by the due date: Why it cannot complete the works by the due date and provide evidence to support its reasons. It must provide a revised timescale of when it will finish the works; or Explain the steps it has taken to ensure the works were completed and provide supporting evidence. It must provide a revised timescale if it is able to or explain why it cannot.	No later than 13 March 2026

Recommendations

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

Our recommendations
The landlord should review delays and failings in its completion repairs at the resident’s property. It should consider if changes it has made to its oversight and coordination of work will avoid these failings being repeated.
The landlord should repeat its offer to consider evidence of damage items (including flooring). It should then consider further compensation for this in line with its policies.

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

Date	What happened
4 July 2025	The resident complained to the landlord about its handling of damp and mould. She said she could not use part of her kitchen to store food due to the issues and insects were attracted by the damp. She also told it of her concerns about paving repairs. She said she wanted the landlord to complete the work required.
10 July 2025	The landlord acknowledged the resident’s complaint and advised it would aim to respond within the next 10 working days.
21 July 2025	The landlord provided its stage 1 complaint response. It acknowledged delay in completing work. It said it would now monitor work to conclusion. It awarded resident £125 for the delays, time trouble, and inconvenience.
30 July 2025	The resident escalated her complaint. She said she was not confident the landlord would complete the repairs. She said she had experienced bugs in her home, and damage to her belongings, due to issues.
5 August 2025	The landlord acknowledged the resident’s complaint escalation.
8 September 2025	The landlord provided its stage 2 complaint response. It again acknowledged failings in its handling of damp repairs. It noted resident had raised a paving repair in May 2024, which was also delayed. It said it now had a full schedule of repairs and aimed to complete both paving and damp repairs by 12 December 2025. It awarded the resident further compensation of £550. This included £50 for complaint handling failings.
Referral to the Ombudsman	The resident referred her complaint to us as she remained unhappy with the landlord’s response and the level of compensation it had awarded.

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	Damp and mould repairs
Finding	Maladministration

What we have not investigated

The resident told us that the condition of the property had affected her household’s health. It would be fairer, more reasonable and more effective for the resident to make a personal injury claim for any injury caused. The court are best placed to deal with this dispute as they will have the benefit of independent medical advice to decide on the cause of any injury and how long it will last. We have not investigated this further. We can decide if a landlord should pay compensation for distress and inconvenience.
Our scheme rules sate we may not investigate complaints which were not referred to the landlord as a complaint within a reasonable time, which is normally 12 months. The resident told us that she had experienced damp issues at the property since 2017, which was when her tenancy began. However, there is no evidence she raised a complaint promptly and in any event within 12 months of becoming aware of the issue. She raised a formal complaint on 4 July 2025. For this reason, we have considered the landlord’s handling of damp and mould since May 2024, which is when the resident reported ongoing issues to the landlord.

What we have investigated

The resident told the landlord on 7 May 2024 of her concerns about damp and mould at the property. The landlord’s damp and mould policy and procedure outlines how it will respond to such reports. It says that if it is not a first report of damp and mould, it will arrange a mould wash and for the surveyor to inspect issues. Its policy and procedure do not set out specific timeframes for when it will attend a property following such a report. However, its repairs policy states it aims to complete pre-inspections, to identify repairs, within 10 working days of a report.
The resident told the landlord on 7 May 2024 of mould in some downstairs cupboards and that there was damp/mould in a bedroom. She also told it that all members of the household were asthmatic and that her daughter had eczema that may be affected by the issues.
The landlord appropriately arranged for its surveyor to inspect issues. It advised the resident that day of an appointment arranged for 14 May 2024. That was within 10 working days of the report. However, the resident had expressed her concerns about mould. In line with its damp and mould policy it should also have arranged a mould wash. Such action would have helped to minimise the risk prior to addressing the root cause of the issues. It did not take this action and that was a failing. That is particularly so given the vulnerabilities the resident had highlighted.
The landlord later recorded on 16 May 2024 that its surveyor had attended and needed to write up a schedule of work. But it has provided no record of the surveyor’s attendance or findings. It was appropriate that the landlord acknowledged in its complaint responses that it had not maintained clear records.
Following attendance in May 2024, the landlord’s surveyor raised separate asbestos and damp surveys on 26 June and 6 July 2024. However, each was raised more than 6 weeks after the inspection. This delay would have prolonged resolution of the reported issues.
The landlord also acknowledged in its complaint responses other delays and disruption in resolving damp issues. The damp survey was completed by an external contractor on 22 July 2024. This identified work needed to address the damp proof course at the property and defective plastering. The contractor provided the landlord with a quote for the work on 9 August 2024. Further, the asbestos survey was completed on 21 August 2024. But the landlord did not take any appropriate steps to progress work needed. That was despite the resident contacting it to chase repairs in October and December 2024.
The landlord internally chased the surveyor for an update on work between July and December 2024. However, as it later stated, work was not progressed due to the surveyor’s absence from work. But the landlord should have had effective processes in place to ensure outstanding repairs were appropriately progressed in these circumstances. It did not do so and that was a failing. It was appropriate that it apologised for this in its complaint responses.
The landlord arranged for another surveyor to attend on 18 February 2025. But, again, it failed to maintain full and clear records of this inspection. Details of it are referred to in the landlord’s internal communication of 16 May 2025. At this time, the landlord noted it had found an email from its surveyor. It noted the surveyor had identified slight damp during the visit in February 2025 and that they needed to establish what work was to be completed by the external contractor.
The landlord should have made clear records of the February 2025 inspection at the time. Doing so may have helped to ensure it took appropriate steps to progress work. Instead, when the resident contacted it in March 2025 it noted it had no notes to be able to provide her with an update.
The landlord acknowledged in its complaint response of September 2025 that it did not progress the work needed following the surveyor’s visit in February 2025. There is no evidence of clear action to progress repairs until early September 2025. At this time, the landlord obtained an updated quote for work. That was 16 months after the resident had reported issues and more than a year after the landlord had obtained the first quote for the work.
The landlord’s repairs and maintenance policy sets out a target for completing appointed repairs within 45 calendar days. However, it says it will offer an enhanced service for residents with a vulnerability. In these cases, it will aim to complete the repair within 28 days. Given the extent of work needed and the need for expert surveys, it is unlikely the landlord would have been able to complete all work within 28 or 45 calendar days even without delay. However, the extent of delays was unreasonable.
It was appropriate that the landlord acknowledged and apologised in its complaint response for the delays, disruption and inconvenience the resident had experienced due to its failings. It acknowledged that a bathroom extractor fan repair identified during its inspection on 18 February 2025 was not completed until 24 June 2025. That was more than 90 days outside the 28-day target it set for this work. It also acknowledged it had not kept the resident updated about the progress of all work. That was also appropriate. She should not have needed to spend so much time and effort chasing repairs and complaining before work to address damp and mould issues was progressed.
The landlord began work at the resident’s property on 12 January 2026. It said its contractor had agreed this with the resident after she said this was her preferred start date. We have seen communication the contractor sent the landlord about this on 23 October 2025. The landlord said it had also since agreed to include kitchen replacement as part of the schedule of work as a goodwill gesture.
The resident told us that work is currently only being completed downstairs. She said she was still unclear about when the landlord will complete work to address damp issues in bedrooms at the front of the property.
The resident raised her concerns about damp in a bedroom in her initial report in May 2024 and when making her complaint in July 2025. The landlord should have clearly communicated with her about its plan for this work and considered any appropriate interim action (such as mould wash, provision of dehumidifiers). That there is no evidence to show it did so is a failing, and contrary to its damp and mould policy. We have ordered that it contact the resident to arrange to inspect issues within bedrooms and consider interim work in line with its damp and mould policy. It should then provide her with a clear plan for this work along with timescales.
The resident told us of her concerns that she will need to replace flooring at the property following completion of repairs. She also told the landlord during her complaint that her belongings had been damaged by damp and mould. The landlord’s repairs and maintenance policy sets out that if damage has been caused by its action/inaction it will consider this as part of a complaint.
When the landlord responded to the resident’s complaint in September 2025 it addressed this issue. It requested that the resident provide it with photographs or an itemised list of items. It said it would then review her request for compensation for these. That was appropriate. We have seen no evidence the resident has provided this information. However, we have recommended the landlord repeat its offer to consider evidence of damage items (including flooring). It should then consider further compensation for this in line with its policies.
We have found maladministration in the landlord’s handling of damp and mould repairs. The resident waited too long for repairs to address damp and mould following her report in May 2024. When she complained to the landlord in July 2025, she said she could not decorate and that damp was attracting insects. She also said she could not store food in part of the kitchen. The landlord acknowledged failings. But we do not consider it identified or acknowledged the full extent or impact of these. Nor has it clearly set out action it will take to address damp issues the resident reported in her bedroom(s).
So far, the landlord has awarded the resident £625 for failings in its handling of damp and mould and paving repairs. It is unclear what amount of this relates to failings in its handling of damp and mould. It would have been better had it been clear about this. We have considered all the circumstances of the case. We have also referred to our remedies guidance. We have decided that an increased award is appropriate to fully recognise and remedy the impact of the failings identified in this report. We have ordered that the landlord make an award to the resident of £1,000, which replaces its previous award. This award is in line with the range set out in our remedies guidance and is aimed at fully remedying the impact of its failings.
The landlord told us that it has taken steps to improve its oversight and coordination of work to ensure repairs are tracked to completion. We have recommended that it review delays and failings in its completion of damp and mould repairs at the resident’s property. It should then consider whether changes it has made will prevent these from being repeated.

Complaint	Paving repairs
Finding	Maladministration

The resident reported her concerns about uneven paving near her shed to the landlord on 29 May 2024. At this time, she said she considered this may be dangerous for her son, who is autistic and has mobility issues. The landlord acknowledged in its complaint response that it had delayed addressing this work. Among other things, it identified it had unclear details from its external contractor about work and failings in communication.
In line with its landlord’s repairs and maintenance policy repairs for residents with a vulnerability should be completed within 28 days. It is unclear from records what timescale the landlord set for this work at the outset. However, it needed to obtain a quote from an external contractor for this work. Given this, it is unlikely it would have been able to meet this timescale even without delays.
In these circumstances, the landlord should have communicated appropriately with the resident to update her about the progress and plans for work. As it later acknowledged, it failed to do so. Instead, it did not provide the resident with proactive updates. Records show that when she contacted it in October 2024, it was unable to establish what was happening to progress the work. It noted it contacted the contractor at this time, who said it had identified work needed to address holes and areas that were slightly uneven. But the landlord did not take sufficient action to ensure the repair was progressed. It did not do so even after the resident chased progress again in February 2025. By 4 July 2025, the landlord established that its contractor would need to provide a new quote for work. Even after this, it delayed until 22 August 2025 before raising the request for a quote.
When the landlord provided its stage 2 complaint response on 8 September 2025 it outlined that the external contractor had provided a new quote for work on 29 August 2025 and that work was awaiting approval. It said it aimed to complete work by 12 December 2025. However, the resident told us she is yet to hear from the landlord about when this work will be completed.
Records we have seen do not clearly show what the landlord has done to progress this work. We acknowledge it noted on 15 October 2025 that it had chased approval of work and updated the resident about this. But we have seen no other updates. It should reasonably have maintained contact with the resident about the paving repairs and explained any reasons completion was delayed beyond the timescale set out in its complaint response. There is no evidence it has done so. That is a further failing which will have added to the resident’s concerns about the work.
We have found maladministration in the landlord’s handling of paving repairs. It has delayed since 29 May 2024 in appropriately progressing repairs resulting in work remaining outstanding more than 18 months after it was reported. That is a significant and unreasonable delay in work, particularly given what the resident had said about her son’s mobility.
So far, the landlord had awarded the resident £625 for failings in both its handling of damp and mould and paving repairs. With consideration to the circumstances and with reference to our remedies guidance we ordered that it replace this with an award of £300. This is aimed at fully recognising and remedying the impact of failings in its handling of paving repairs. We have also set out an order for the landlord to complete paving repairs.

Complaint	Shed repairs
Finding	Outside jurisdiction

The resident raised concerns about the landlord’s handling of shed repairs. We have no power to investigate complaints which the landlord has not had the chance to put right first. There is no evidence the resident raised the complaint about shed repairs or that it was addressed by the landlord in complaint responses. Therefore, we have no power to investigate these concerns. If the resident remains concerned, she may wish to raise a new complaint with the landlord about these repairs.

Complaint	The handling of the complaint
Finding	Maladministration

Our Complaint Handling Code (the Code) sets out when and how the landlord should respond to complaints. When the resident complained to the landlord in July 2025, the relevant Code was the April 2024 edition. We have found that:
1. The landlord’s published complaints policy complied with the Code in respect of timescales.
2. The landlord provided a timely response to the resident’s initial complaint.
3. Its stage 2 complaint response was delayed. But it appropriately communicated with the resident in advance and met the extended timescale for response.
The landlord failed to address the resident’s concerns about paving repairs in its initial response. It identified this during its stage 2 consideration of the complaint. The £50 award it made in recognition of this was appropriate. However, we have also identified that the landlord failed to ensure the resident was aware of its plans and timescales for completing all outstanding work. Further, it did not fully identify the extent or impact of its failings.
Overall, we have found maladministration in the landlord’s complaint handling. We have ordered that it make a further award of £100 in recognition of the impact of complaint handling we have identified. This award is line with the range set out in our remedies guidance.

Learning

The landlord should monitor repairs to ensure they are completed within target timescales. Where repairs are delayed it should communicate appropriately with residents.
The landlord should ensure interim actions (such as mould wash, provision of dehumidifiers) are considered in advance of remedial repairs.

Knowledge information management (record keeping)

The landlord did not keep clear records of its inspections or its communication with external contractors. It should do so to avoid delays and to demonstrate how it is acting to respond to and progress repair reports.

Communication

The landlord did not communicate effectively with the resident to keep her updated about the progress of damp and mould and paving repairs. It should do so, particularly when repairs are delayed. This would help to avoid additional distress and inconvenience to the resident.