London Borough of Tower Hamlets (202420983)

Decision
Case ID	202420983
Decision type	Investigation
Landlord	London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Landlord type	Local Authority / ALMO or TMO
Occupancy	Secure tenancy
Date	16 March 2026

Background

The resident lives in a 2-bed ground floor flat with his elderly parents and sisters, all of whom are disabled. His sister’s children also live in the property. The resident first reported issues with his toilet window not opening and closing correctly on 16 August 2023. In the intervening period, the landlord undertook inspections and some works, however the resident was dissatisfied with the level of workmanship and further works were raised. The window was ultimately booked to be replaced in March 2025, after the conclusion of the landlord’s complaint process and the resident has told us that this remains outstanding at the time of this investigation.

What the complaint is about

The complaint is about the landlord’s response to the resident’s reports of toilet window repairs.
We have also considered the landlord’s complaint handling.

Our decision (determination)

We have found:
1. Maladministration in the landlord’s response to the resident’s reports of toilet window repairs.
2. Service failure in the landlord’s complaint handling.

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

Summary of reasons

Window repairs

The landlord delayed repairs, cancelled the works order prematurely, and allowed the issue to remain unresolved for an extended period. It also failed to learn from the complaint or ensure a lasting and effective repair to the household’s only toilet window.

Complaint handling

The landlord significantly delayed its stage 2 complaint response. It acknowledged this and offered appropriate compensation, but it failed to identify or address the root causes of this delay.

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 provided by a senior officer. 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 13 April 2026
2	Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident £600 (including £350 it offered during its complaint process). This is comprised of: £100 for the impact on the resident by its complaint handling. £500 to recognise the distress and inconvenience caused by the outstanding repair, over an extended period. This must be paid directly to the resident by the due date. The landlord may deduct from the amount ordered above any of the £350 it offered during its complaint process, if this has already been paid. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of payment by the due date.	No later than 13 April 2026
3	Learning order The landlord must undertake a review of this case and the findings of this decision. It must identify: The root causes of the delay in progressing the repairs following the resident’s complaint escalation. The root causes of the delay in issuing its stage 2 complaint response. What action or changes it can make to prevent a reoccurrence in future. This might include changes to its policies, practices, staff training or systems. How it will implement these changes in a reasonable period of time. The landlord must provide us with a copy of the case review addressing these factors and an action plan outlining how and when any changes will be undertaken.	No later than 27 April 2026
5	Starting the works The landlord must take all steps to ensure the repairs to the toilet window are started no later than the due date. If the landlord cannot start the works in this time, it must explain to us, by the due date: Why it cannot start the works by the due date and provide evidence to support its reasons. It must provide a revised timescale of when it will start and finish the works; or The steps it has taken to start the works and provide us with documentary evidence of its attempts to ensure the works were started by the due date. It must provide a revised timescale if it is able to or explain why it cannot. Whether suitable alternative accommodation is necessary and will be made available to the resident.	No later than 27 April 2026

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

Date	What happened
9 January 2024	The resident complained about the landlord’s handling of his previously raised repair request in August 2023. He said: The windows would not lock and remained open; the contractor attended but only screwed them shut, with a follow‑up appointment arranged for replacements. When he had contacted the contractor in September 2023, he was told the job had been passed to another contractor, and when he chased again on 3 January 2024, he was informed that the works order had been closed, requiring him to restart the process. There were disabled residents in the property and felt this had not been considered in managing the works.
23 January 2024	The landlord issued its stage 1 complaint response and said: A works order had been raised in August 2023 and passed to its contractor, but due to a backlog it had been transferred to another subcontractor. The contractor had attended in September, and a follow‑on appointment had been arranged for October, but the contractor had reported that no access was provided, so the works order was closed. It had since raised a new works order, after which the contractor had attended on 9 January and had booked a repair appointment for 31 January.
15 February 2024	The resident escalated his complaint as he had not received a response from the landlord after he reported “shoddy workmanship” during the repairs to the windows. He said that window did not open on half tilt and only opened fully.
29 October 2024	The landlord issued its stage 2 complaint response and acknowledged delays in both repairs and the stage 2 response. The landlord explained that several inspections and repair appointments had taken place between January and March 2024, during which some window repairs had been completed, including fitting new hinges. However, further issues—such as the windows only opening partially—remained unresolved despite additional orders and an inspection in early March, after which no further works were carried out. It said a new works reference had since been raised, with the next appointment scheduled for 20 November 2024. The landlord acknowledged delays since 8 March and poor communication. It apologised for this and offered a total of £350 of which £250 compensation for its repairs handling and £100 for delays in complaint handling.
Referral to the Ombudsman	The resident escalated his complaint to us as he felt the windows had not been repaired appropriately, as only a safety restrictor lock had been fitted. He said he felt his property was more at risk of break ins and the ongoing issues were causing him anxiety. He was seeking a resolution of the repairs.

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 the resident’s reports of toilet window repairs
Finding	Maladministration

The landlord’s records show that the first reports of issues with the resident’s toilet windows were recorded on 17 August 2023. The toilet is on the ground floor and is the only toilet in the property. The toilet is raised and has a grab handle to assist the disabled members of the family. The resident also told us that the current window opening allowed neighbours to see into the toilet, particularly given the window was adjacent to a communal path. He also said he had security concerns given the window was only secured by a safety restrictor and was accessible from the outside as the property was on the ground floor.
The landlord’s repairs policy says that it will attend routine repairs within 20 working days. It says that repairs were components (such as windows) require manufacturing might take longer and residents will be informed of this. The policy says, in cases where the household has vulnerabilities, that repairs may be prioritised.
The landlord raised a works order on 17 August 2023, the same day as the resident reported issues with the windows and it attended 30 working days later on 28 September 2023 to repair the window hinges. Follow up works were booked for 18 October 2023, however no access was provided and the works order was closed. The landlord’s initial appointment was not within the 20-working day timescale in its policy and it should not have cancelled the works order following one missed appointment, as its policy says it will only do this after a second missed appointment. This was a failing, which delayed the progression of the repairs.
When the resident was told about the repair closure on the 3 January 2024, he then proceeded to raise his initial complaint a few days later. He said he was dissatisfied that a contractor had screwed the window shut, committed to replacements and then the works order had been passed to another contactor and closed. The landlord’s stage 1 complaint response also acknowledged a backlog with its contractors, which required it to appoint a second contractor. We expect landlords to be able to allocate repairs in a timely manner and have systems to track demand and completion effectively to support this.
Following the resident’s complaint, the landlord’s contractor attended on 9 January 2024 to assess the works, which were then booked and completed on 31 January 2024, where the landlord overhauled the windows and fitted new butt hinges. This was timely and responsive to the resident’s continuing concerns. The resident reported the following day that the works were not to a standard, the window did not open halfway, as the tilt window should. The landlord raised a new works order for this the same day and the appointment was completed on 13 February 2024, 9 working days later to fit new double-glazed units. This was appropriate and in line with the timescales in the landlord’s policy.
Within his stage 2 complaint escalation, the resident said there had been poor workmanship, and that the windows still only operated fully closed or fully opened, and did not operate as a tilt window. The landlord completed an inspection 17 working days later on 8 March 2024 which was within the timescales in its policy.
Following this there was a significant period of delay, in which the resident chased the landlord and sought support from us to progress the repairs. The landlord did not raise a new works order until 16 October 2024, over 7 months later. The landlord acknowledged this delay in its stage 2 complaint response, which it issued on 29 October 2024. Within its response it said there had been poor communication and delays, for which it apologised and offered the resident £200 compensation for the repair delays and £50 compensation for the poor communication.
Beyond the conclusion of the complaint process, the landlord’s contractor attended on 20 November 2024 and overhauled the window. This included fitting a cord restrictor to the window, however the resident said that this did not restore the tilt function, it only prevented the window from opening fully.
After escalation of the complaint to us for investigation, the landlord raised further works orders in late March 2025 for the windows to be replaced, as the resident reported that the window was still not functioning correctly. We have not seen evidence of this being completed and the resident confirmed this in correspondence with us. Given the length of time, this is a significant failure to make a lasting and effective repair to the window, particularly given the vulnerabilities in the household and the security concerns raised.
While the combination of the apology and compensation went some way to providing redress, it was not sufficient given the level of delay experienced by the resident and given that the matter remains outstanding at the time of this investigation.
Our remedies guidance sets out that payments of £100 to £600 are appropriate to put right failings where the landlord has delayed in resolving an issue over an extended period of time, particularly where this causes distress, inconvenience and additional time and trouble for the resident. In ordering a total of £500 in compensation for this element of the complaint, we have considered the significant and long-term impacts on the household, particularly given that this was the sole toilet in the property and the household includes several members with disabilities. This amount is inclusive of the £250 compensation offered by the landlord in its stage 2 complaint response related to the delays and poor communication.
Additionally, the landlord did not use its complaint process to learn and take action to improve its services and system to prevent a reoccurrence in future. Nor has it made a lasting and effective repair to the window in the intervening period.

Complaint	The landlord’s complaint handling
Finding	Service failure

The Complaint Handling Code (the Code) sets out when and how a landlord should respond to complaints. The landlord has a 2-stage complaint process, which is in line with the Code. During the earlier part of this complaint, it had a 3-stage policy which included an informal resolution stage, however this has now been removed, and this brings the policy in line with the Code.
The landlord’s policy says it will acknowledge complaints at both stages within 5 working days. The policy says that residents should then receive a formal response to stage 1 complaints within 10 working days and stage 2 complaints within 20 working days of the complaint acknowledgement. The records show that the landlord:
1. Acknowledged the resident’s complaint on 10 January 2024, which was 1 working days after receipt. It then provided its stage 1 response 9 working days later.
2. Acknowledged the resident’s complaint escalation on 19 February 2024, which was 2 working days after receipt. It then provided its stage 2 response 178 working days later.
This means that the landlord’s stage 2 complaint response was significantly delayed. The Code expects landlords to issue timely complaint responses, to avoid the resident being delayed in escalating their complaints. The Code also requires landlords to agree extensions (of up to 10 working days) with residents and there is no evidence that the landlord did this.
Within its stage 2 complaint response, the landlord acknowledged the delays, apologised for this and offered the resident £100 compensation for this and this was reasonable and appropriate for the impact on the resident. While we consider the level of compensation to be proportionate for the failures we have identified, there was very little evidence of the landlord assessing the underlying reasons for the delays or putting anything in place to prevent this reoccurring in future. This was a failing to use effectively the complaint process. The landlord must now identify the root causes and alter its processes to ensure that extensions to complaint responses are timely and agreed with residents, as required by the Code.

Learning

Knowledge information management (record keeping)

When we requested evidence for this case, the landlord told us that it could not find the resident’s original tenancy agreement. The landlord must ensure that critical documents like this are obtained and filed for easy reference. Otherwise, the landlord’s repair and complaint documents were complete and allowed us to investigate the complaint.

Communication

The landlord’s complaint response at stage 2 was significantly delayed and there is evidence of the resident chasing for updates regarding the repairs from the landlord and its contractors on a regular basis. However, this has been covered by our learning order above.