Social Tenant Access to Information Requirements (STAIRs) consultation is now open. 

Take part in the consultation

London Borough of Islington (202336924)

Back to Top

 

REPORT

COMPLAINT 202336924

London Borough of Islington

28 August 2025

 

Our approach

The Housing Ombudsman’s approach to investigating and determining complaints is to decide what is fair in all the circumstances of the case. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme (the Scheme). The Ombudsman considers the evidence and looks to see if there has been any ‘maladministration,’ for example whether the landlord has failed to keep to the law, followed proper procedure, followed good practice, or behaved in a reasonable and competent manner.

Both the resident and the landlord have submitted information to the Ombudsman, and this has been carefully considered. Their accounts of what has happened are summarised below. This report is not an exhaustive description of all the events that have occurred in relation to this case, but an outline of the key issues as a background to the investigation’s findings.

The complaint

  1. The complaint is about the landlord’s response to the resident’s concerns about the location of gas supply pipes and fire safety.

Background

  1. The resident holds a secure tenancy. The property is a 2-bedroom maisonette. The resident has an immune-related medical condition.
  2. The resident made a complaint to the landlord on 1 November 2023. He was concerned that his fire escape route had gas supply pipes and an electrical unit below the stairs he would use to exit the property. He felt the location of the gas pipes was a health and safety risk.
  3. The landlord provided its stage 1 response to the resident on 14 November 2023. It explained the fire safety improvement works it had arranged as part of a wider programme of works. It also confirmed the location of the resident’s fire exit at the property. It said if he had any further concerns it would try to address this.
  4. The resident escalated his complaint to the landlord on 14 November 2023. He said it had not answered his concern. He said that his issue was the location of the gas supply as it was underneath the stairs he would use in case of a fire.
  5. On 11 December 2023, the landlord provided its stage 2 response to the resident. It apologised for not addressing his concern within its initial response. It said it had tried to arrange a home visit to discuss his concerns, but he had declined this. It said it would rearrange a visit if he wished to. It said doing so would allow an opportunity to address the issues with the location of the gas pipes.
  6. The resident escalated his complaint to us as he remained unhappy with the landlord’s response. He felt the location of the gas pipes may pose a risk to him in the event of a fire. The complaint became one we could investigate on 6 August 2024.

Assessment and findings

Scope of investigation

  1. The resident has made other complaints to the landlord. We have previously investigated issues including concerns with fire doors and access rights to the garden (202212645). We are satisfied that the resident continued to report the same issues as previously determined. As such, while the resident’s current complaint to the landlord included reference to these matters, we have not assessed them again as part of this investigation.
  2. After the complaints process ended, the resident was unhappy with other matters related to the landlord’s handling of the location of the gas pipes. This included concerns with works it later arranged. In the interest of fairness, our scope is limited to the issues raised during the complaint. This is because the landlord needs a fair opportunity to investigate and respond to any new issues before our involvement. The resident can address any issues that have occurred after the stage 2 response directly with the landlord (if he has not already done so). He can progress this as a new formal complaint if required.
  3. The resident was concerned with the landlord’s handling of the home visits offered within its response to this complaint. We have investigated this separately (202402782).

The landlord’s response to the resident’s concerns about the location of gas supply pipes and fire safety

  1. The landlord completed various fire safety upgrades to the property as part of its wider planned works. During this process, the resident raised concerns about the location of the gas and electric supply. He was worried about his safety in the event of a fire as they were located below the stairs he would use to leave the property. He raised these concerns within his complaint.
  2. In response, the landlord offered to meet the resident at his home to discuss this and try to ease his concerns. The evidence shows that it arranged 3 appointments with the resident in December 2023. However, he either declined or asked to rearrange the appointments.
  3. As a home visit did not go ahead, this limited the actions the landlord could take to resolve the resident’s concerns. The resident also told the landlord he wanted our Service to “deal with this issue” when it tried to discuss his concerns over a telephone call. The landlord therefore did not have an opportunity to understand his concerns and try to offer reassurance or take any action.
  4. Nevertheless, it was good practice that the landlord continued to try to arrange a home visit after the complaints process ended. Especially given the resident’s concerns related to his health and safety in the event of a fire. This showed it took his concerns seriously and it was committed to putting things right for him. Additionally, the initial response was understandably disappointing for the resident as it did not address his concerns. However, the landlord appropriately acknowledged this. It put this right by answering his concerns appropriately within the final stage of its complaints process.
  5. Considering the above, we have found no maladministration in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s fire safety concerns with the location of gas supply pipes.

Determination

  1. In accordance with paragraph 52 of the Scheme, there was no maladministration in the landlord’s response to the resident’s concerns about the location of gas supply pipes and fire safety.