Golding Homes Limited (202231449)

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Decision

Case ID

202231449

Decision type

Investigation

Landlord

Golding Homes Limited

Landlord type

Housing Association

Occupancy

Assured Tenancy

Date

14 May 2026

Background

  1. The resident lives in a flat. In 2023, the resident raised complaints about the landlord’s response to flooring issues, fire safety, handling of management move proposals, staffing changes and her request for an advocate form. The resident said the landlord’s handling of the issues had affected her mental health and that damp in the property had exacerbated a skin condition. The resident told us that her outstanding concerns relate to fire safety works in an electric cupboard and the presence of silverfish.

What the complaint is about

  1. The complaint is about the landlord’s response to:
    1. Bathroom flooring works and silverfish
    2. Fire safety concerns
  2. We have also investigated the landlord’s complaint handling.

Our decision (determination)

  1. The landlord made a reasonable offer of redress to remedy failures associated with its response to bathroom flooring works and silverfish.
  2. The landlord was responsible for service failure regarding its response to fire safety concerns.
  3. The landlord made a reasonable offer of redress to remedy failures associated with complaint handling.

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

Summary of reasons

The landlord’s response to bathroom flooring works and silverfish

  1. There were some delays in progressing the bathroom flooring works. Although the landlord provided reasons for some of the delay, it did not always show it had kept the resident updated. The landlord offered £200 compensation in its complaint responses, which was reasonable.

The landlord’s response to fire safety works

  1. There were delays by the landlord in completing fire safety works in the electric cupboard next to the resident’s flat. Although the landlord stated that the identified works did not present a high risk, it did not respond clearly to the resident’s specific concerns, which led to time and trouble pursuing the issue. The landlord did not identify this failure in its complaint responses. We have ordered compensation to remedy the impact of the delays.

The landlord’s complaint handling

  1. The landlord offered compensation for its delay in providing the stage 2 response, which was proportionate.

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 £150 to recognise the distress and inconvenience caused by the delays in completing fire safety works.

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

11 June 2026

 

 

Recommendations

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

Our recommendations

The landlord to pay the compensation already offered in its complaint responses, if it has not already done so. The findings of reasonable redress are made on the basis that the landlord has paid this sum to the resident.

The landlord to write to the resident to explain whether it will replace the other thresholds in the property and complete further works to the fire wall in the electric cupboard if it has not already done so. If it has decided not to complete these works, it should explain why.

The landlord to consider contacting the resident to discuss logging a further complaint regarding its recent handling of fire safety works.

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

Date

What happened

9 October 2023

Following correspondence from the resident about new and ongoing issues, the Ombudsman contacted the landlord and asked it to log a new complaint about its response to:

  • Issues with flooring
  • Response to fires
  • Management move proposals
  • Staffing changes
  • The resident’s request for an authorisation/advocate form

30 October 2023

The landlord issued its stage 1 response, in which it said:

  • Following a recent surveyor’s inspection, it agreed to replace the bathroom flooring and threshold and it was sorry it did not agree to the bathroom flooring replacement originally.
  • It had appointed a building safety surveyor who inspected the building every month and it was reviewing and updating its fire policy and procedure.
  • It could have done more to reassure residents following a fire in the basement of the communal building and to provide details of proposed work and investigations.
  • It offered the resident £300 compensation, inclusive of £50 for complaint handling, £50 for not responding correctly to the report of flooring issues, £25 for its communication following the fire in the building, £25 for communication about an advocate from and £150 in recognition of the distress and inconvenience for the delay in the ongoing works.
  • On 11 December 2023, it offered an additional £100 for silverfish and drainage issues.

19 January 2024

The resident escalated her complaint to stage 2. She said the landlord had promised the bathroom flooring works would be completed by February 2024. She also said that the landlord had previously agreed to attend every 2 weeks to collect and replace silverfish traps, but the same traps had been there for 6 weeks.

8 March 2024

The landlord issued its stage 2 response, in which it said:

  • The bathroom flooring works were originally planned for February 2024, but these were delayed after the resident said it should be put on hold while a management move was considered.
  • The flooring works would start the week commencing 8 April 2024 and it would first conduct an asbestos survey of the floor.
  • Its contractor advised that the bathroom works would eradicate the silverfish and it had purchased more traps which it would deliver to the resident.
  • It offered an additional £350, inclusive of £150 for multiple contractors attending over a 3-year period and £100 for complaint handling. The remaining £100 was for issues not under investigation here.

5 April 2024

The landlord issued a further stage 2 response following a meeting with the resident on 3 April 2024. The landlord said:

  • The bathroom threshold works would take place on 8 and 9 April 2024 and it offered to move the resident to temporary accommodation while the works were completed.
  • In 2021, it conducted a type 4 fire risk assessment that recommended compartmentalisation of the redundant heating and bathroom duct and it was looking to appoint a contractor to undertake this work during 2024.
  • There were no medium or high-risk fire stopping works required in the building and it would further communicate with residents about the works by 30 April 2024.

15 & 19 May 2024

The resident referred her complaint to the Ombudsman, in which she said the landlord’s plan to remove one threshold in the bathroom, rather than all 3 in the property, would not eradicate silverfish. She also stated that the landlord had provided no date for the fire stopping works in the electric cupboard.

22 April 2026

The resident told us that the outstanding issues related to the landlord’s handling of silverfish and fire safety works. To resolve her complaint, she said the landlord should replace wooden thresholds to prevent silverfish and complete fire safety works in the electric cupboard next to her flat.

 

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 response to bathroom flooring works and silverfish.

Finding

Reasonable redress

What we have not investigated

  1. The Ombudsman’s previous determination, issued on 9 October 2023, investigated the resident’s complaint about the landlord’s response to silverfish. This investigation will not consider the landlord’s handling of the bathroom works and silverfish prior to this date, nor will we comment on whether the landlord complied with any related orders, as this has already been dealt with. However, we have referred to some events prior to October 2023 for context.

What we have investigated

  1. A damp and mould survey carried out in 2022 identified damp to the wooden bathroom door threshold. A thermal imaging survey in January 2023 found moisture under the bathroom floor. Following this, the landlord agreed to remove the bathroom threshold and investigate the bathroom flooring.
  2. On 27 October 2023, the landlord documented that it was focussing on completing living room works which were due to take place on 7 November 2023 and that it would schedule the bathroom works at the start of 2024. This was to minimise disruption to the resident, which was reasonable.
  3. On 18 January 2024, the landlord wrote to the resident and said it was waiting for the resident to confirm her availability for the bathroom works to take place. The landlord also provided some reassurance regarding the resident’s concerns about being without a bathroom and that adjustments could be made, if necessary. It is unclear whether the resident provided her availability for the works following this.
  4. At stage 2, the landlord said it originally planned the flooring works for the week of 26 February 2024 but stated the resident wanted to pause the works while she considered a management move. However, it is noted that the resident contacted the landlord in early February 2024 raising concerns about the delay in completing the bathroom works. The landlord did not provide records of a discussion with the resident in which she agreed to delay the works for this reason. Clear records would have provided an audit trail of communication and supported the landlord’s explanation for the delay.
  5. The landlord said the works would begin the week commencing 8 April 2024 and that it would need to conduct an asbestos survey first. It said that the works would eradicate silverfish.
  6. On 11 March 2024, the resident raised concerns that the proposed works would not eradicate silverfish as she had found them around other damp skirting boards in her home. The evidence indicates that the landlord met with the resident to discuss her concerns on 3 April 2024, which was an appropriate step. It was also reasonable for the landlord to undertake works that its contractor had recommended in order to resolve the damp and silverfish issues. However, the landlord did not provide notes of this discussion with the resident and it is unclear what reassurance, if any, it offered regarding this matter.
  7. The landlord conducted the bathroom floor repairs in May 2024, and the resident stayed in temporary accommodation while this took place. As such, the landlord completed the works it promised in its stage 2 response. However, in June 2024 the resident told the landlord the works had not eradicated the silverfish. She has since continued to report that the issue is ongoing.
  8. The evidence reflects that were some delays in the landlord progressing the bathroom floor works within the time period covered by this investigation. While the landlord provided reasons for the delays, it was not always clear from the evidence whether it agreed the delays with the resident. It is important for landlords to maintain audit trails of repairs and communication with residents so that its decision making can be evidenced.
  9. The landlord’s overall compensation was offered over both stages of the complaint and the landlord did not always break the amounts down clearly for each failure. We have apportioned £200 to this aspect of the complaint based on the wording of the landlord’s responses. This amount was reasonable to remedy the delay in completing the bathroom threshold works up until May 2024.
  10. Overall, the landlord conducted the threshold works that were identified by its contractor and offered fair and reasonable compensation for the delays in doing the works. On this basis, we have made a finding of reasonable redress. However, we acknowledge that the resident remains dissatisfied and her view is that the other thresholds in the property should be replaced to fully resolve the silverfish problem. We are unable to investigate the landlord’s continued handling of the resident’s silverfish reports after it completed the bathroom floor works because it has not had the opportunity to respond to the concerns through its complaints process. However, we have made a recommendation for the landlord to tell the resident whether it will complete these works, if it has not done so already. If it declines to complete the works, it is recommended that the landlord explains the reasons for its decision to the resident.

Complaint

The landlord’s handling of fire safety works.

Finding

Service failure

What we have not investigated

  1. In November 2024, the landlord installed a new fire wall in the cupboard next to the front door of the resident’s flat. The resident said the plywood wall required a further fire-resistant barrier. Although fire safety works were part of the resident’s original complaint, the landlord conducted these works approximately 7 months after its final complaint response in April 2024.
  2. The Ombudsman may not consider complaints that are made prior to having exhausted a landlord’s complaint procedure. This allows the landlord a fair opportunity to respond and resolve matters before our involvement. For this reason, we have not considered the landlord’s actions in response to the resident’s concerns about the November 2024 works.
  3. The evidence shows the landlord wrote to the resident on 24 September 2025, with an email titled ‘follow up response’ to a stage 1 complaint. It said it had issued a stage 1 response on 3 September 2025, indicating the resident had made a new complaint. The landlord said it would not consider a complaint about a fire wall installed in 2019. The resident replied to clarify that the complaint related to the works in November 2024, not 2019.
  4. In April 2026, the landlord told us it had not considered a new complaint about fire safety works. However, the evidence suggests the resident may have raised a new complaint about this issue in 2025. We have made a recommendation for the landlord to consider contacting the resident about logging a new complaint about its handling of this matter.

What we have investigated

  1. The evidence indicates that there was a fire in the basement of the resident’s building in March 2023. The resident raised concerns to the landlord that the fire wall inside the electric cupboard next to her flat had not been sealed properly. She said the landlord attended to take photographs on 29 March 2023, but she had heard nothing further. She raised this with the landlord several times during 2023.
  2. In its stage 1 response, the landlord said communal fire stopping works would begin in January 2024, but it did not provide evidence that it carried out works at that time. In its stage 2 response, it said it had identified fire stopping works with its specialist contractor. In its final complaint response on 5 April 2024, it said it would complete compartmentalisation works identified in a 2021 risk assessment later in the year after it had appointed another contractor. The evidence does not show whether these works related specifically to the electric cupboard or to other fire stopping works in the building. However, this indicates a lengthy delay between the works being identified and the landlord arranging for them to be carried out.
  3. The evidence indicates the local authority conducted a health and safety inspection on 23 April 2024, which noted that the fire wall was not sealed in the cupboard next to the resident’s front door. In its May 2024 newsletter to residents, the landlord confirmed that the fire stopping works identified in the building were not high risk.
  4. In September 2024, the landlord informed residents that it had received information from its specialist consultants regarding fire safety works and it would procure the proposed programme of works.
  5. The landlord’s contractor conducted works to the fire wall in the electric cupboard in November 2024. The evidence therefore indicates a lengthy delay in the landlord completing the works between March 2023 and November 2024. The landlord’s communication was not always clear regarding what fire stopping works it would complete and it did not appear to respond specifically to the resident’s concerns about the fire wall in the electric cupboard. However, the landlord confirmed on several occasions that the fire stopping works were not high risk, which reduces the impact of the overall delay. That said, it is clear that the resident incurred time and trouble chasing the landlord, and that she was concerned about the delay in completing the required works.
  6. We have ordered the landlord to pay the resident £150 compensation in recognition of the impact of this delay. This amount is in accordance with the Ombudsman’s compensation guidance for when a resident was adversely affected by a failure.
  7. We recognise the resident’s ongoing concerns that a barrier has not been installed over the fire wall. As stated above, we are unable to consider the landlord’s response to the resident’s ongoing concerns. However, we have noted that the landlord conducted a fire risk assessment in April 2026 and told the resident it would confirm whether it would conduct works to the cupboard once it received the contractor’s report. We have made a recommendation for the landlord to write to the resident to confirm whether it will complete the requested works to the fire wall. If it will not complete the works, it should explain why they are not required.

Complaint

The handling of the complaint

Finding

Reasonable redress
  1. The landlord’s complaint handling policy states it will acknowledge complaints within 5 working days and issue stage 1 responses within a further 10 working days. It will respond to escalation requests in 5 working days and issue stage 2 responses in 20 working days of its acknowledgment.
  2. The Ombudsman asked the landlord to log a new complaint on 9 October 2023 and the landlord issued its stage 1 response on 30 October 2023, which was within the required timeframe. The resident escalated her complaint on 19 January 2024 and the landlord acknowledged the escalation on 24 January 2024. The resident chased the landlord for a response on 23 February 2024 and the landlord apologised and stated it would discuss the issues with the resident during the upcoming mediation session. The landlord issued the stage 2 response on 8 March 2024, which was 12 days outside of the required response time.
  3. The landlord offered the resident £100 compensation for the delays which was reasonable to remedy any impact on the resident of this delay.

Learning

  1. The landlord delayed completing fire safety works that were originally identified in 2021. The resident raised concerns on numerous occasions about the fire wall, indicating a possible need for learning regarding its repairs service.

Knowledge information management (record keeping)

  1. Clear record keeping is an essential part of providing a repairs service and responding to complaints. Although the landlord maintained its written correspondence with the resident, it did not always provide evidence to reflect discussions with the resident in which it had agreed to delay the bathroom works. Further, the records relating to required fire stopping works was limited and it did not maintain clear records of its decision-making regarding these works.

Communication

  1. The landlord has evidenced that it took proactive steps to manage and respond to the resident’s correspondence.