London & Quadrant Housing Trust (202426890)

Background

1. The resident lives in the property with his wife and children. He has several health conditions registered with the landlord. He first reported a loss of heating in December 2023, which remained unresolved for over a year. He asked the landlord to investigate and provide a resolution.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s:
   1. Handling of the resident’s reports of no heating.
   2. Complaint handling.

Our decision (determination)

3. There was:
   1. Maladministration in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of no heating.
   2. No Maladministration in its complaint handling.

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

Summary of reasons

4. We found that:
   1. The landlord did not monitor or manage the heating repair effectively. It did not take steps to maintain effective communication with either its contractor or the resident. When it identified and acknowledged its failings, it failed to apply the learnings and did not follow through on its commitments.
   2. Its complaint responses were issued within the appropriate timescales.

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.

What we did not investigate

5. The resident has expressed how the landlord’s delays in re-establishing his heating affected the health of the household. It would be fairer, more reasonable, and more effective for the resident to make a personal injury claim. The courts handle this type of dispute as they will have the benefit of independent medical advice to decide the cause and duration of any illness. We did not investigate this further. We can decide if a landlord should pay compensation for distress and inconvenience.

What we did investigate

6. The landlord’s repair policy categorises heating repairs as an emergency with a stated response time within 24 hours. It sets out response times of 20 working days for routine repairs and 40 working days for repairs with additional complexity. The records show that it responded appropriately to the resident’s initial report within the advised timescale.
7. The records show the resident then made an additional 3 reports to the landlord regarding the loss of heating between 19 December 2023 and 27 February 2024. It is clear from the records in December 2023 that the contractor had identified it required a replacement part. It also recommended an engineer complete an annual service however, there is no evidence to show this was actioned. The records relating to the other 2 reports are marked as closed and did not record if any works had been carried out. This failing caused the resident additional time and trouble because he had to chase the landlord for a response.
8. The landlord’s records are then silent until August 2024, when the resident complained again that it had still not repaired the heating. The landlord has provided no records to demonstrate it maintained contact with the resident or contractor during this time. This highlights a period of 8 months where the resident was left without heating.
9. The evidence shows the landlord was aware at this time of both children and vulnerabilities present in the household. A request for temporary heaters was also not followed through on by the landlord. This illustrates a breakdown in communication between the parties. The resident has stated the household experienced distress and inconvenience due to this.
10. The landlord used its complaint responses to acknowledge its failures and to provide information on how it intended to resolve this. It confirmed it had spoken to its contractor, highlighting the urgency of the repair, and provided an estimated timescale for the completion of the works. It recognised the delays were unacceptable and offered redress for this, however, it failed to learn from its investigation. It did not follow through on its commitment to complete the repair in the timescale advised and failed to provide any updates.
11. The evidence shows the landlord’s contractor did not complete the repair until February 2025, nearly 5 months after the landlord issued its stage 2 complaint response. This resulted in a continued and prolonged loss of heating during the winter period for a household with known vulnerabilities, including children.
12. Despite acknowledging failings and setting out clear commitments in its stage 2 response, the landlord did not apply the learning identified through its complaints process or take effective steps to mitigate any further impact on the household. While the landlord offered redress as part of its complaint handling, that redress did not account for the continued delay and ongoing detriment experienced after stage 2. We therefore find the landlord’s actions, taken as a whole, amount to maladministration.
13. We order the landlord to pay an additional £1,208 compensation. This is made up of:
    1. £1,008 for the continued loss of heating from the landlord’s stage 2 response until its resolution in February 2025. This is a period of 126 days x £8 per day in line with our compensation guidance.
    2. £200 for distress, inconvenience, time, and trouble caused by the landlord’s handling of the resident’s repair and household vulnerabilities.
14. The above sums are in line with our compensation guidance. Where the landlord’s policy sets out higher amounts for the same specific services, we will order compensation in line with that higher amount.

15. The landlord’s complaint policy at the time of the complaint complies with the definition of a complaint in the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code (the Code) April 2024. The timescales in the landlord’s complaint procedure complied with the Code.
16. The resident raised a complaint on 27 August 2024. The landlord issued its stage 1 response 1 working day later on 28 August 2024. This is in line with the timescales in its policy.
17. The resident responded on 28 August 2024 to escalate his complaint. The landlord acknowledged the request on 29 August 2024. Its stage 2 response followed 14 working days later on 18 September 2024. These are in line with the timescales in its policy.

Learning

18. This case highlights the need for effective oversight, accurate record-keeping, and clear communication when managing emergency repairs. The absence of records and prolonged lack of contact between December 2023 and August 2024 shows a failure to track repairs and support a household with known vulnerabilities. Although the landlord acknowledged these failings through its complaint handling, it did not act on the lessons identified or meet its own committed timescales.

Knowledge information management (record keeping)

19. This case shows the landlord did not keep clear or complete repair records. It failed to record follow‑on works, confirm actions taken, or evidence contact with the resident or contractor over 8 months. It also closed repair records without outcomes preventing effective oversight and delayed resolution.

Communication

20. The landlord did not maintain effective communication. It failed to provide updates, respond to repeat reports, or keep contact with the resident or contractor during an extended loss of heating. Communication did not improve after the landlord acknowledged failings through the complaints process. Landlords should give clear, regular updates and actively manage contact, especially where essential services and vulnerabilities are involved.