A2Dominion Housing Group Limited (202501751)

Background

1. In March 2025, the resident asked the landlord to remove the covers on her radiators so she could clean the radiators and improve energy efficiency. The landlord removed 2 covers but later reinstated them. During this process, one of the resident’s walls was damaged.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of the resident’s request to remove the radiator covers, and the associated damage.

Our decision (determination)

3. There was service failure in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s request to remove the radiator covers, and the associated damage.

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

Reasons

4. The landlord is responsible for repairing and maintaining the heating system. The tenancy agreement says the resident is responsible for decorating. Though not explicitly addressed in the tenancy agreement, landlord’s policies or website, tenants are not generally responsible for repairing damage caused by their landlord’s actions.
5. While there is no specific regulation requiring radiator covers, the landlord has a responsibility to manage the risk of burns from hot surfaces. Radiator covers with grilles help reduce the risk of burns, support and improve airflow, and protect the radiator from damage.
6. The resident told us that although the heating works, the radiators sometimes do not, which she believes is due to the covers. This is unlikely, as covers that are slatted or ventilated at the front or top would have minimal impact on heat output. The resident should raise this issue with the landlord so it can investigate and, if needed, complete its complaints process. If she remains dissatisfied with the landlord’s final response, she may then refer the matter to us.
7. During a call with the resident on 3 December 2025, the landlord reasonably explained why the covers would remain in place. However, it had initially removed 2 covers and later reinstalled them. This was a service failure as it raised the resident’s expectations. The landlord also failed to include this explanation in its complaint responses, which contributed to the complaint being escalated. While it is understandable that the resident wishes to clean the radiators, any removal and reinstallation of the covers would need to be arranged separately/independently. This is because it would not form part of the landlord’s standard repair or maintenance service.
8. When refitting the covers, the landlord damaged a wall. It attended the property on 2 December 2025 and completed a repair. However, the 5-month delay caused inconvenience and was a further service failure. While the resident is responsible for decorating, it is unreasonable to expect her to source paint to cover repairs in a different colour when the landlord caused the damage. The landlord should have offered a solution to address this outstanding issue.
9. The landlord did not offer compensation for the failures in its complaint responses. This was inappropriate. We have therefore ordered it to pay £100 compensation in line with our compensation guidance for the distress and inconvenience caused to the resident. This amount also reflects the cost of her having to repaint the wall.

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.