Home Group Limited (202419559)

Background

1. The landlord replaced the resident’s front door in June 2023. In November 2023, the resident reported that the replacement door was faulty. They also said damage to the doorway and flooring caused during the door’s installation remained unresolved.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of the repairs.
3. We have also investigated the landlord’s complaint handling.

Our decision (determination)

4. There was service failure in the landlord’s handling of repairs.
5. There was reasonable redress in the landlord’s complaint handling.

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

Summary of reasons

The landlord’s handling of repairs

6. The landlord acknowledged that it had taken too long to resolve the matter. It offered compensation which was proportionate to the failures identified by our investigation and the impact upon the resident. However, the final compensation amount was offered after the landlord’s complaint process, which meant there was an unreasonable delay to resolve the complaint.

The landlord’s complaint handling

7. The landlord conducted a 3-stage complaint process against the provisions of our Complaint Handling Code which led to a protracted process and unreasonable delay. The landlord offered compensation for its complaint handling failures which was proportionate to the failings identified by our investigation.

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.

Recommendations

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

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

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.

8. In December 2023 the landlord inspected the door. However, there is no record the landlord took steps to progress any repairs following its inspection. The resident later complained in March 2024 and said the matter remained unresolved. They also said the issues with the door had resulted in an increase to their energy bills. 
9. In its stage 1 complaint response, the landlord said that if the resident believed they had incurred additional costs because of the issues with the door, the claim should be submitted to its insurer.
10. The landlord acknowledged that it had not progressed the door repairs and raised a new repair order. However, the resident subsequently escalated their complaint in May 2024 and said the repairs remained outstanding and that they were unhappy with the landlord’s response to their request for compensation for increased energy costs.
11. In its stage 2 response, the landlord confirmed that further repairs would be arranged and that it would ensure the works were complete before it closed the complaint. The evidence shows the repairs were completed in August 2024, around 9 months after the resident first reported the issues.
12. Following completion of the outstanding repairs, the landlord carried out a further review of the complaint. It confirmed with the resident that all works had been completed and acknowledged that its advice for the resident to pursue their claim for financial losses with its insurer was incorrect. It identified failures in its communication and complaint handling, and that it had taken too long to resolve the matter. The landlord offered £695 compensation, which the resident accepted.
13. Our role is to consider whether the redress offered by the landlord resolved the resident’s complaint satisfactorily in the circumstances. In doing so, we consider whether the landlord’s offer was in line with our Dispute Resolution Principles: Be Fair, Put Things Right and Learn from Outcomes, as well as our guidance on remedies.
14. We encourage landlords to take resolution focussed action, irrespective of the stage at which a case has reached. However, the focus for a landlord should always be to ensure that a case in dispute progresses to a fair resolution during its internal complaints process.
15. It was not until after the landlord’s complaints process that it conducted a further review of the case and made an offer of compensation. Although this did indicate a willingness to learn, in line with our Dispute Resolution Principles, appropriate redress is something which should have been considered during its complaints procedure.
16. Many of the failings the landlord later identified were already apparent during its complaints process. These included communication failures, its failure to progress repairs following its December 2023 inspection, and the incorrect advice it gave about the resident’s claim for increased energy costs.
17. The landlord should therefore have considered and offered appropriate redress for those matters at the time of its stage 2 response. The failure to do so was unreasonable and led to the delay to resolve the case.
18. However, we are satisfied that the landlord’s compensation offer was proportionate and consistent with our compensation guidance for cases where there has been an adverse effect on the resident. Its delay to identify and offer appropriate redress during its complaints process leads to our determination of service failure.
19. Our remedies guidance sets out that, in some circumstances, an apology is appropriate to put right the failings of the landlord. In this case, we have made an order for the landlord to apologise for the failure to resolve the complaint as part of its complaints process.

20. The landlord operates a 2-stage complaints process. The landlord’s complaint handling policy says it will acknowledge a complaint within 5 working days. It will then respond at stage 1 within a further 10 working days. At stage 2, it will acknowledge an escalation request within 5 working days. It will then respond at stage 2 within a further 20 working days. These timescales comply with those set out in our Complaint Handling Code (the Code).
21. The landlord provided its stage 1 and 2 complaint responses within the timeframes set out in its complaints policy.
22. On 21 August 2024 the landlord issued a further complaint response. The Code states that landlords must provide a 2-stage complaint process. By issuing a further complaint response after its stage 2 response, the landlord introduced a third stage to its complaints process which was not compliant with our Code. The failure to provide a 2-stage complaints process was unreasonable as it led to an unnecessary delay and convoluted process.
23. In its further complaint response, the landlord said there was poor case handling at stages 1 and 2 of its complaints process and offered £300 compensation. The evidence is unclear as to what aspects of complaint handling the compensation was intended to remedy.
24. However, its offer is more than the maximum amount recommended by our compensation guidance for complaint handling failures. Therefore, the compensation offered is proportionate to the failures identified by our investigation and amounts to a finding of reasonable redress.

Learning

25. There is learning available from this investigation in relation to the landlord’s complaint handling. It may wish to consider the online resources available from our Centre for Excellence for training and development of its complaint handling staff.

Knowledge information management (record keeping)

26. Our investigation has highlighted the importance of robust record keeping and case management. The landlord could consider learning from this case to ensure actions arising from inspections are appropriately recorded, monitored and progressed. Better oversight of outstanding repairs may help identify when agreed actions have not been completed and reduce the risk of unnecessary delays in resolving repairs.

Communication

27. Our investigation identified opportunities where clearer explanations of next steps and timely progress updates may have helped manage expectations. Regular communication with residents may also reduce the risk of them needing to pursue matters further.