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London & Quadrant Housing Trust (202330970)

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REPORT

COMPLAINT 202330970

London & Quadrant Housing Trust

26 September 2025


Our approach

What we can and cannot consider is called the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction and is governed by the Housing Ombudsman Scheme. The Ombudsman must determine whether a complaint comes within their jurisdiction. The Ombudsman seeks to resolve disputes wherever possible but cannot investigate complaints that fall outside of this.

In deciding whether a complaint falls within their jurisdiction, the Ombudsman will carefully consider all the evidence provided by the parties and the circumstances of the case.

The complaint

  1. The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of leaks and repairs to the property.

Determination (jurisdictional decision)

  1. When a complaint is brought to the Ombudsman, we must consider all the circumstances of the case as there are sometimes reasons why a complaint will not be investigated.
  2. After carefully considering all the evidence, in accordance with paragraph 41.c. of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of leaks and repairs to the property is outside of our jurisdiction.

Summary of events

  1. The resident first complained on or around 22 August 2023. She reported that:
    1. Electrical repairs had not been completed satisfactorily.
    2. There was a leak from the bathroom and water was pooling on the floor.
    3. The leak was entering her daughter’s bedroom below.
    4. The ceiling in the bedroom was bowing and needed to be replaced.
  2. The landlord responded in September 2023, it raised jobs for the bedroom ceiling and bathroom floor to be inspected. It outlined it could not complete the electrical works until the ceiling was repaired. It apologised for the delay in resolving the resident’s concerns and offered £100 compensation.
  3. On 11 September 2023 the resident escalated her complaint to stage 2. She expressed frustration that the ceiling and bathroom floor works had not been completed. She explained she felt the house was “ruined” and that her daughter’s bedroom could not be used.
  4. The landlord responded on 14 November 2023. It apologised for the resident’s experience and offered compensation of £2930, this was broken down as:
    1. £960.00 for the distress and inconvenience caused by the landlord’s failure to recognise the impact on the resident.
    2. £480.00 for the time and effort taken by the resident to resolve the complaint.
    3. £100.00 for poor complaint handling
    4. £180.00 for missed appointments.
    5. £160.00 towards the cost of a new shower curtain and bedframe.
    6. £1,000.00 to recognise the landlord’s service failures.
    7. £50.00  for its lack of response to an enquiry from the resident’s MP.
  5. On 15 January 2025 the resident’s solicitor sent the landlord a letter of claim for disrepair. The claim was issued in the County Court on 7 February 2025. The particulars of claim state that:
    1. There was extensive cracks on the ceiling in bedroom 2,
    2. The windows in bedroom 1 were damaged by water ingress and mould, and did not have restrictors fitted. The floor was damaged because it had dropped.
    3. The rear kitchen window was damaged by water ingress and had mould growth.
    4. Damages were sought for distress, discomfort, and inconvenience.

Reasons

  1. Paragraph 41.c. of the Scheme states that the Ombudsman cannot consider complaints which concern matters that are the subject of court proceedings or were the subject of court proceedings where judgement on the merits was given.
  2. This means that the Ombudsman will not consider a complaint where the court is handling the matters referred to us. This is because the Ombudsman ought not to make decisions which may affect the findings and orders of the court. So, where issues have been raised in legal proceedings, the court is the appropriate forum for listening to the arguments and can then reach a decision which is binding on the parties.
  3. The resident has confirmed to us she is pursuing a disrepair claim and the landlord has provided copies of the claim form which were stamped by the County Court on 7 February 2025.
  4. Based on the evidence available, we are satisfied that the matters raised in this complaint are subject to court proceedings. In accordance with 41.c of the Scheme, we will not therefore investigate the complaint.