Anchor Hanover Group (202311697)
|
Decision |
|
|
Case ID |
202311697 |
|
Decision type |
Investigation |
|
Landlord |
Anchor Hanover Group |
|
Landlord type |
Housing Association |
|
Occupancy |
Assured Tenancy |
|
Date |
30 April 2026 |
Background
- The resident is disabled. In 2023, she raised several concerns with the landlord. These included a lack of hot water, concerns about the efficiency and cost of heating in the property and damp and mould, and handrails on the bath. She also said that both the kitchen and bathroom neededreplacing. The resident remains dissatisfied with the landlord’s response to these issues.
What the complaint is about
- The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of the resident’s concerns including a lack of hot water, the cost and efficiency of the heating, damp and mould, repairs to the windows and the kitchen, and handrails to the bathtub.
- We have also considered the handling of the associated complaint.
Our decision (determination)
- We have found maladministration in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s concerns about a lack of hot water, the cost and efficiency of the heating, damp and mould, repairs to the windows and the kitchen, and handrails to the bathtub.
- We have found reasonable redress in the landlord’s handling of the associated complaint.
We have made orders for the landlord to put things right.
Summary of reasons
- The temperature readings the landlord took in January 2024 showed that the temperature in the resident’s property was consistently below government guidance, particularly given the resident’s vulnerabilities. The landlord’s records were contradictory, and we therefore cannot say with certainty that it inspected the heating in the kitchen. The landlord also did not address the resident’s concerns about the kitchen worktop or the kitchen unit doors. There were lengthy delays after the landlord issued its final complaint response in it addressing the damp and mould, replacing extractor fans, and installing handrails to the resident’s bath. These additional delays likely caused the resident further distress and inconvenience.
- The landlord has acknowledged that there were delays in its handling of the associated complaint. It has apologised and offered the resident proportionate compensation for this.
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 |
Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident additional compensation of £350 for the trouble and inconvenience caused by its errors in its handling of the issues she raised. This must be paid directly to the resident by the due date. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of payment by the due date. It must also pay the resident, the £300 it offered her for out-of-pocket expenses and the £1,250 compensation, if it has not done so already. |
No later than 28 May 2026 |
|
2 |
Inspection orders The landlord must contact the resident to arrange an inspection of the heating in her property by a suitably qualified heating specialist, to ensure it is appropriate for the resident’s needs. It must take all reasonable steps to ensure the inspection is completed by the due date. If the landlord cannot gain access to complete the inspection, it must provide us with documentary evidence of its attempts to inspect the property no later than the due date. What the inspection must achieve: The landlord must ensure that the heating surveyor produces written reports with photographs. The inspection must include the heater in the kitchen to ensure that this is fit for purpose and functioning as it should. The survey report must set out: The most likely cause of any identified issues with the resident’s heating.
The landlord must also inspect the resident’s kitchen to establish whether repairs are needed to the worktop and the kitchen unit doors. |
No later than 28 May 2026 |
Recommendations
Our recommendations are not binding, and a landlord may decide not to follow them.
|
Our recommendations |
|
The landlord may wish to explore with the resident whether it would be beneficial to involve an occupational therapist in the assessment of the heating in her property, given her vulnerabilities. |
|
We recommend that the landlord sets out its findings to the resident in relation to the energy bills she provided. |
|
We recommend that the landlord treats any damp and mould it identifies, subject to the resident allowing access. If the resident does not allow it access, the landlord should consider following its no access policy. |
|
We recommend that the landlord take further temperature readings from the resident’s property this winter, subject to the resident allowing access, to ensure that her property meets the minimum temperature guidelines set by government. |
|
The landlord should ensure that it contacts the resident in advance of all routine appointments as there is evidence there were times when it attended the property without providing prior notice. |
Our investigation
The complaint procedure
|
Date |
What happened |
|
15 February 2023 |
The resident complained to the landlord. She said:
|
|
20 March 2023 |
The resident complained again to the landlord. She said:
|
|
30 March 2023 |
The landlord responded to the resident’s complaint. It said:
|
|
30 March 2023 |
The resident complained again to the landlord. She said:
|
|
12 April 2023 |
The resident complained again. She said she needed handrails on the bathtub. She said her bathroom needed to be replaced. |
|
24 May 2023 |
The landlord issued a further stage 1 complaint response. It said:
|
|
30 May 2023 |
The resident escalated her complaint to stage 2 of the landlord’s complaint procedure. She said:
|
|
23 August 2023 |
The resident complained again to the landlord. She said:
|
|
21 March 2024 |
The landlord issued its stage 2 complaint response. It said:
|
|
17 May 2024 |
We asked the landlord to issue a further complaint response to the resident as it had not responded to all the issues she had raised in her complaint. |
|
14 June 2024 |
The landlord issued a further complaint response. It apologised for not responding fully to the issues she had raised in her complaint. It said:
|
|
Referral to the Ombudsman |
The resident complained to the Ombudsman on 1 August 2024. She said the landlord only took temperature readings at the property for one week. She said she could not heat her property sufficiently and reiterated that her heating costs had increased significantly. The landlord had not inspected the heater in the kitchen. There was mould in the kitchen around the windows and doors and under the sink. It had not installed handrails on her bath. |
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 |
The landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of a lack hot water, the cost and efficiency of the heating, damp and mould, repairs to the windows and the kitchen and handrails to the bathtub. |
|
Finding |
Maladministration |
- In her complaint of 20 March 2023, the resident said she had raised concerns with the landlord about the cost of electricity since 2007. While the resident’s comments are noted, we expect residents to raise complaints with landlords in a timely manner – normally within 12 months of the issue occurring. This is so that evidence needed to investigate the matter is readily available and so that action can be taken while the issue is still ‘live’. We have not seen evidence that the resident formally complained to the landlord about these matters before February 2023. Given this, the passage of time and the available evidence, we have limited our investigation to events from February 2023 onwards.
- The resident mentioned in her complaint that her health was affected by the landlord’s handling of the repairs. Her concerns have been noted. However, it would be fairer, more reasonable and more effective for the resident to make a personal injury claim for any injury caused. The courts are best placed to deal with this type of dispute as they will have the benefit of independent medical advice 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.
Lack of hot water
- On 15 February 2023, the resident complained to the landlord about a lack of sufficient hot water to run baths. On 22 May 2023, a plumber identified that the water cylinder had been wired incorrectly. It was appropriate that, in its stage 2 complaint response, the landlord apologised for the delay in identifying the cause of the problem. It was positive that the landlord offered the resident £300 to cover her out‑of‑pocket expenses. However, it would also have been appropriate for the landlord to offer compensation for the time, trouble and inconvenience caused, particularly as the resident had told it that she needed to take baths for health reasons.
Cost and efficiency of heating
- The resident raised concerns about the cost and efficiency of the storage heater in her lounge. The landlord acted appropriately in arranging for its electrician to check that the heater was working as it should. It also offered to install an additional heater in the lounge. It acknowledged however that this may lead to increased energy costs for the resident. It was right therefore that it signposted her to its internal money advice service as well as to external agencies who may also be able to provide her with advice in relation to her electricity costs.
- On 30 March 2023, the resident told the landlord that its electrician had attended her property without prior notice. She said she was ill at the time and could not allow access. She also raised concerns that the landlord had sent the same electrician who, in her view, had not identified issues with the storage heater when it was first installed. She questioned whether the electrician had sufficient training in relation to her model of storage heater.
- We cannot assess the electrician’s level of training. The landlord accepted that the electrician did not identify that the water tank had been wired incorrectly. It acted appropriately in advising that it would provide feedback to the electrician. However, we have not seen evidence that the landlord investigated the resident’s report that the electrician attended her property without prior notice. This was a missed opportunity, and the resident was left without a response to her concern.
- The resident told the landlord that her property had an Energy Performance Certificate rating of E. The landlord advised that it would ensure that by 2030 all its properties met an EPC rating of C. This is in line with government guidance. The landlord acted reasonably in installing additional insulation in the resident’s loft to help retain heat within the property.
- On 31 July 2023, the landlord asked the resident to provide copies of her energy bills covering the period from December 2020 to May 2021. However, the resident no longer had access to bills from this period and had since changed energy supplier. In these circumstances, the landlord would not have been able to fairly assess whether there had been a significant increase in her energy costs when compared with earlier bills.
- The resident was able to provide copies of utility bills from December 2021 to February 2023. In its complaint response of 14 June 2024, the landlord told the resident that it had requested the bills to compare her energy costs with those associated with the previous storage heater. We have not seen evidence that the landlord carried out this comparison or, if it did, that it set out its findings to the resident. This was a failing, as it left the resident without clarity as to whether the replacement storage heater may have contributed to an increase in her electricity costs. We have therefore made a recommendation above in relation to this issue. The resident told the landlord that since the installation of a smart meter in March 2023, her electricity costs had reduced significantly.
- The landlord was correct to advise the resident that if she had concerns that her electricity meter was faulty, this was the responsibility of her utility provider to investigate and remedy if necessary.
- The landlord advised the resident to move her washing and the cat bed away from the storage heater in the lounge, as these items could affect the room temperature and may present a fire risk. The resident disputed this advice and said the heating manufacturer had told her that her cat bed and drying clothes were not an issue. We have noted the resident’s comments, but we have not seen any other evidence of the advice she was provided with. Therefore, we cannot consider this further. However, the landlord was entitled to rely on the advice of its electrician that drying clothes near the heater could affect the room temperature and could be unsafe.
- On 30 May 2023, the resident complained that the heating in her kitchen and bathroom was inadequate. The landlord said that its contractors checked the kitchen heating on 7 March 2024. This is not supported by the landlord’s records and it is unclear why it advised as such. There is evidence that the resident told the landlord that the appointment scheduled for that date could not go ahead because she had COVID‑19. We therefore cannot conclude that the landlord inspected or repaired the kitchen heater, and we have made an order above to put this right.
- The landlord’s record keeping is a concern. When we investigate a case, we ask for the landlord’s records and supporting documentation. Where a landlord cannot provide reliable records, we may be unable to confirm that works took place or that it followed its repairs policy. Landlords must keep clear, accurate and accessible records so there is an effective audit trail. Not only does this help to ensure effective repairs management, but it is also crucial in the event that records need to be provided for an independent investigation of the complaint. The landlord’s inability to provide a clear and consistent account of when or if works took place is a failing.
- The landlord acted reasonably in installing a new heated towel rail on 19 March 2024 to improve the heating in the resident’s bathroom. However, this took place almost 10 months after the resident first reported concerns about the bathroom heating. There is no evidence which suggests that the landlord was prevented from completing this repair sooner. As such, we have concluded that this was an unreasonable delay. This is particularly concerning given that the resident is disabled.
- In January 2024, the landlord installed data loggers in the resident’s lounge to record temperatures over a 7‑day period. On 20 May 2024, it provided a graph showing that temperatures reached a maximum of 66.4° Fahrenheit (F) and a minimum of 56.8°F. However, the graph shows that the temperature exceeded 66°F on only 1 occasion, while for the majority of the recorded period it remained at 64°F or below. The landlord said that the heat provided by the storage heater met the minimum housing standards it was required to provide to its residents.
- However, government guidance recommends that daytime indoor temperatures should be at least 65°F, particularly for people with pre‑existing medical conditions, such as the resident. The landlord’s records show that it attended the property on 12 November 2024 to carry out a thermal imaging assessment but was unable to gain access. It said it carried out thermal imaging from outside the property and did not identify any issues. The landlord said it was unable to install additional data loggers at that time due to the lack of access. It has advised that it plans to collect a further set of temperature readings in May 2026. While it is positive that the landlord has continued to take steps to monitor the temperature in the property, this data collected will not reflect winter conditions. We have therefore made recommendations above in relation to this issue.
Damp and mould
- In her complaint of 20 March 2023, the resident said that condensation and mould were building up in her property. On 23 August 2023, she reported mould growing in the cupboard under the kitchen sink. The landlord acknowledged that it overlooked both these reports and apologised for this, which was appropriate. On 14 June 2024, the landlord said cold spotting was the likely cause of the mould and stated that it would arrange a mould wash to affected areas in the kitchen and bedroom. The landlord’s records state that it had issues finding a damp and mould contractor and that therefore it could not arrange an appointment prior to March 2025. However, this delay was unreasonable, particularly as some of the mould affected the resident’s bedroom.
- The landlord’s records state the resident did not allow it access to treat the mould on several occasions from April 2025. Whilst it is understandable that residents may not be able to allow access for legitimate reasons such as illness, the landlord would not be responsible for any delays caused by a lack of access. The landlord inspected the property on 3 July 2025 but found that the resident had already washed the mould away.
- In the escalation of her complaint of 30 May 2023, the resident told the landlord that the extractor fans in her property were old and needed to be inspected. The landlord did not inspect the extractor fans until 3 July 2025. At that inspection, it found that the extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom were old and not functioning correctly. This delay of over 2 years in the landlord inspecting the extractor fans was unreasonable, particularly as poor ventilation can contribute to damp and mould, and the resident had raised concerns about mould in her kitchen.
- The landlord’s records state that it installed new extractor fans in the kitchen and bathroom on 4 September 2025. This was around 1 month outside its routine repair timescale of 20 working days. However, the evidence shows that the landlord needed to arrange an asbestos survey before it could install the fans, which explains the extended timeframe.
Windows
- In its complaint response of 14 June 2024, the landlord said the resident raised concerns about her windows on 21 March 2024. This was incorrect. The evidence shows that the resident first reported that the windows needed repair on 23 August 2023, nearly 7 months earlier. We asked the landlord to confirm the date it replaced the windows. It told us it replaced 4 windows on 26 March 2024. This does not appear to be correct, as within its complaint response the landlord advised that its window contractor had carried out an assessment on this date to determine what work was required. The reason for the delay is unclear, but the landlord’s response was inappropriate and caused the resident distress, as well as time, trouble and inconvenience.
Handrails to the bathtub
- On 12 April 2023, the resident told the landlord she needed handrails on the bath and that her bathroom needed upgrading. The landlord did not address the resident’s concerns that her bathroom needed replacing. Landlords are not obliged to replace bathrooms if they can resolve issues by completing repairs as this ensures value for money and reduces costs which would otherwise be passed on to residents through their rent and service charge.
- The landlord acted appropriately in liaising with the resident’s occupational therapist in relation to installing suitable handrails on her bath. The evidence shows that the resident provided a copy of the occupational therapist’s report to the landlord in June 2024. However, the landlord did not install handrails until 8 September 2025. We have seen no evidence to suggest that this delay was unavoidable. This was a significant failing which caused the resident considerable distress and inconvenience. The resident has confirmed that the landlord replaced the bath in May 2025 after she sought support from her GP.
Repairs to the kitchen
- On 23 August 2023, the resident told the landlord that the kitchen worktop surface was worn, and repairs were needed to her kitchen unit doors. The landlord advised her to report these issues to a specific member of staff. This approach was not reasonable. It would have been appropriate for the landlord to raise the issues directly with its repairs team, rather than requiring the resident to report the issues again.
- The landlord said it inspected the kitchen on 9 April 2024 and found it to be in a suitable condition. However, the evidence does not show that it addressed the specific repair issues the resident had raised. We have therefore made an order above for the landlord to put matters right. The landlord has said it cannot find a letter the resident referred to about her kitchen being due for replacement. As above, it is not obliged to replace kitchens if it can complete repairs instead. However, it is appropriate that it has confirmed to the resident when her kitchen is due for renewal.
- On 14 June 2024, the landlord offered the resident compensation of £1,250. The landlord did not provide a breakdown of this amount, but it told us that it included reimbursement for the additional heating costs the resident incurred during the week it recorded temperatures in the property. At that stage, the offer represented reasonable compensation for the failings identified and was in line with our compensation guidance, which states that amounts over £1,000 may be appropriate where a resident has been significantly affected by a landlord’s errors over a prolonged period.
- However, as set out above, there were further lengthy delays after the landlord issued its final complaint response. These included delays in addressing the damp and mould, replacing the extractor fans, and installing handrails to the bath. We have therefore ordered the landlord to pay additional compensation to reflect the distress and inconvenience these further delays likely caused the resident.
- The resident has raised further issues since her complaint exhausted the landlord’s complaint procedure including the towel rail in the bathroom being too small, slugs in the kitchen and repairs to the bathroom door frame and her post box. As the landlord has not had reasonable opportunity to investigate these concerns, they have not formed part of our investigation. However, the resident may wish to raise these as a new complaint with the landlord if she remains unhappy.
|
Complaint |
The handling of the complaint |
|
Finding |
Reasonable redress |
- The landlord’s complaint policy at the time of the complaint states that it will acknowledge all complaints within 5 working days. The policy states that it will respond to stage 1 complaints within 10 working days, and stage 2 complaints within 20 working days, of acknowledging the complaint. The policy states if the landlord needs more time to investigate a complaint, any extension should not exceed a further 10 working days at stage 1, or 20 working days, at stage 2.
- The resident complained to the landlord on 15 February 2023 and again on 20 March 2023. The landlord issued a complaint response on 30 March 2023. However, that response did not clearly state which of the resident’s complaints it was responding to. Where a resident raises multiple complaints within a short period of time, it is imperative that the landlord takes additional steps to ensure that there is clarity in its responses.
- On 26 April 2023, the landlord told the resident that it needed more time to investigate her complaint and that it would issue a response on 12 May 2023. However, it did not provide the response until 24 May 2023. This delay caused the resident time, trouble and inconvenience, as she had to wait longer than expected for a response to her concerns.
- The resident escalated her complaint to stage 2 of the landlord’s complaints procedure on 30 May 2023. On 23 August 2023, the landlord told the resident that it needed more time to respond. It is not clear why the landlord did not update the resident sooner. It also did not issue its stage 2 response until 21 March 2024, which was over 6 months outside its published timescales. The landlord acknowledged that it failed to respond within its stage 2 timescales. In its stage 2 response, it apologised to the resident for the delay and awarded £100 compensation. This was proportionate, in line with our compensation guidance, and represented reasonable redress for the delays in it responding to her complaints.
- Our Complaint Handling Code (the Code), published on our website, sets out our expectations for landlords’ complaint handling. The Code states that landlords must address all points raised in the complaint definition and provide clear reasons for any decisions, referencing the relevant policy, law and good practice where appropriate.
- In her complaint of 30 May 2023, the resident told the landlord that her neighbours wished to join her complaint because their property was also cold. We have not seen evidence that the landlord responded to this part of the complaint. We would have expected the landlord to explain whether it had a process for multiple residents to be included in a single complaint, or whether the neighbour would need to submit a separate complaint. The landlord’s failure to response left the resident’s query unanswered.
- On 17 May 2024, we asked the landlord to issue a further response to the resident’s complaint because it had not addressed all the issues she raised. Some of the matters reported by the resident may have been service requests rather than complaints. A service request is the initial report of a problem and may later become a complaint if the resident is dissatisfied with the landlord’s response. However, if the landlord determined that the resident had not raised certain issues with it previously it should have explained this to her and should still have taken reasonable steps to address all her concerns. The landlord’s failure to respond fully to the resident meant that she did not receive a complete response until 14 June 2024. This delay likely caused her inconvenience, as she was left without answers to all the issues she had raised for longer than she should have been.
- As noted above, the landlord made a revised compensation offer of £1,250. This offer was proportionate compensation for the landlord’s errors in its handling of the substantive issues and for the additional shortcomings we have identified in its complaint handling. The landlord is therefore not required to take any further action in this respect, as the overall offer is appropriate redress for the failings in the landlord’s complaint handling.
Learning
- It is positive that the landlord has said it will carry out staff training in relation to complaint handling, focusing on when complaints should be logged. It may want to consider additional training to ensure that it responds to all complaint points raised.
- The landlord may wish to consider providing a clear breakdown of any compensation it offers, so it can demonstrate to residents how it has calculated the amount awarded.
Knowledge information management (record keeping)
- The landlord should review its record‑keeping arrangements to ensure it can accurately confirm completion dates for works carried out by its operatives and contractors when requested.
Communication
- The landlord has acknowledged that communication between its internal teams was poor. It is positive that it has committed to improving its internal communication.