Hyde Housing Association Limited (202509357)

Decision
Case ID	202509357
Decision type	Investigation
Landlord	Hyde Housing Association Limited
Landlord type	Housing Association
Occupancy	Assured Tenancy
Date	25 February 2026

Background

1. The resident complained that birds had returned to nest on her roof and that she had reported this to the landlord for years to prevent it happening. She referred the complaint to us because she was unhappy with the landlord’s response.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of the resident’s:
   1. Reports of pests and associated repairs.
   2. Complaint.

Our decision (determination)

3. We have found:
   1. Maladministration in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of pests and associated repairs.
   2. Service failure in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s complaint.

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

Summary of reasons

Handling of the pests and associated repairs

4. The landlord had not recognised the delay in it communicating its inspection findings to the resident and when it expected to complete repairs to prevent the pests.

Handling of the complaint

5. The landlord recognised the delay in handling the resident’s complaint and offered compensation. However, it had not apologised for this and had not set out learning in line with our dispute resolution principles.

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 specific to the failures identified in this decision, meaningful and empathetic it has due regard to our apologies guidance	No later than 25 March 2026
2	Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident £200 made up as follows: £150 for the distress and inconvenience caused by its handling of the reports of pests £50 for the distress and inconvenience caused by its handling of the complaint This must be paid directly to the resident by the due date. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of payment by the due date. The landlord may deduct from the total figure any payments it has already paid as offered in its complaint responses.	No later than 25 March 2026
4	Learning order The landlord must write to the resident and set out what it has learnt from the failures identified in this report, including its delay communicating the inspection findings to prevent pests and its handling of the complaint. It must explain what actions it will take to prevent the same failures from happening again in the future.	No later than 25 March 2026

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

Date	What happened
12 March 2025	The resident reported to the landlord she had recurring problems with birds each year. She said the landlord had not resolved the issue, and she found the pests distressing.
8 May 2025	The landlord sent its stage 1 response. It said the birds had entered in a different part of the property compared to the previous year, and it would renew the fascias, soffits, gutters, and downpipe. It would complete repairs once the birds had left.   On the same day, the resident escalated the complaint. She said the birds entered through the same place. She wanted to know what the landlord would do to prevent the birds returning.
3 June 2025	The landlord sent its stage 2 response. It reiterated what it said in its stage 1 response, and in addition it said it would: repair the entry point in the fascia and install deterrents remove dead birds from the property It offered the resident compensation of £50 for its complaint handling.
Referral to the Ombudsman	The resident said that since the landlord’s complaint response, it had completed all repairs to the roof which had prevented the birds returning. She said the delay to complete the repairs affected her mental health.

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 handling of the pests and associated repairs
Finding	Maladministration

6. The landlord inspected the property for pests 2 working days after the resident reported the issue in line with its pest control policy. It found an entry point in the roof. It explained to the resident it would update her about its findings. However, it did not do this until 48 days later and only after she chased it for an update on at least 2 occasions. The landlord’s inspection policy says it would communicate its findings to residents. However, the delay in it doing so was unreasonable and caused inconvenience to her.
7. The landlord explained to the resident that it would complete repairs once the birds were no longer nesting. It expected that this would be around September 2025. This was in line with its pest policy to advise on what actions it could take when birds were nesting.
8. In the landlord’s complaint response, it said it had not found any failures in its handling of the pests. It did not recognise the failures we have found, as set out under the summary of reasons of this report. This was not in line with our dispute resolution principles, which require landlords to be fair, put things right, and learn from outcomes.
9. We have made orders to put things right which includes an apology, lessons the landlord has learned, and compensation in line with our remedies guidance. This is for the failures that caused distress or inconvenience to the resident for the delay in it communicating its findings about the pests.

Complaint	The handling of the complaint
Finding	Service failure

10. Our Complaint Handling Code (the Code) sets out when and how a landlord should respond to complaints. The relevant Code in this case is the 2024 edition. The landlord’s complaint policy was in line with the timeframes set out in the Code.
11. The landlord acknowledged the resident’s complaint 35 working days late and therefore sent the stage 1 response late. This was not in line with its complaint policy to acknowledge a complaint within 5 working days and provide a stage 1 response 10 working days later. It acknowledged and responded to the resident’s escalation in line with the timeframes set out in its complaint policy.
12. In the landlord’s complaint response, it recognised the failures of its complaint handling up until the resident escalated the complaint to stage 2 and offered her compensation of £50 for this. However, it had not apologised to her and set out what lessons it had learnt to the resident to prevent it happening again. This was not in line with our dispute resolution principles.
13. The landlord’s offer of compensation for the failures identified in this report was in line with our remedies guidance for the distress or inconvenience caused to the resident for its complaint handling delays. However, we have made orders to put things right which includes an apology, and what lessons it had learnt to prevent this happening again.

Learning

14. The landlord missed an opportunity to identify learning points in its complaint response for its handling of the pests and the complaint. It would have been in line with our dispute resolution principles for it to have done this within its internal complaint procedure.

Knowledge information management (record keeping)

15. Our Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) Spotlight report recommends that landlords keep clear records. The landlord’s record about the pests and the complaint were unclear at times.

Communication

16. Our Attitudes, Respect and Rights Spotlight report recommends that landlords provide proactive updates to residents, especially where there are delays. The landlord had not proactively updated the resident about the substantive issue and the complaint, which likely contributed to their distress and inconvenience when expecting a response.