London & Quadrant Housing Trust (202534527)

Background

1. During August 2025 the resident contacted the landlord to request a repair to her boiler because she did not have heating and hot water. She was unhappy with its subsequent response.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s response to the resident’s request for a boiler repair.

Our decision (determination)

3. There was maladministration in the landlord’s response to the resident’s request for a boiler repair.

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

Reasons

4. The landlord’s repair policy says it is responsible for fixtures and fittings for heating. It also says it aims to get things right first time where possible.
5. The resident requested repairs to the boiler in August and September 2024. They were resolved 12 months prior to this complaint. Therefore, we consider it reasonable to focus our assessment on the repair request made at the time of this complaint.
6. An entry on the repairs log dated 15 August 2025 shows the resident contacted the landlord to report that she had no heating and hot water. It attended on 18 August 2025 and noted the system was working when it left. However, on 3 September 2025 the resident again reported she had no heating or hot water. It attended on 5 September 2025 and identified follow on works. The landlord responded to the resident’s repair requests in a timely manner. However, we acknowledge distress and inconvenience was caused because it did not get it right first time.
7. Follow on works booked for 10 September 2025 were delayed by 2 working days at the resident’s request. When the landlord attended it fitted a new pump and identified further electrical works. However, its electrician did not attend on 18 September 2025 as arranged. The resident’s email to the landlord of 22 September 2025 set out her frustration about the ongoing repairs. She said every time she called she had to answer the same questions to explain the situation. She also set out the impact on her and her 3 children, including boiling water for bathing and not being able to bath her 3 year old child.
8. The landlord’s stage 1 complaint response confirmed a new appointment was booked for 26 September 2025. It offered £30 for the missed appointment on 18 September 2025 in line with its compensation policy. However, its response lacked empathy and failed to recognise the resident’s individual circumstances. On 26 September 2025 she asked to escalate her complaint. She said there was still no heating and hot water, and no action plan. On 8 and 24 October 2025 the landlord raised further repairs. There’s no evidence that the resident had heating or hot water at this time.
9. The landlord’s stage 2 complaint response dated 27 October 2025 said a final appointment was booked for that day. It’s unclear why it had been unable to resolve the repair during the earlier appointments that month. By now 53 days had passed since the repair was first reported on 3 September 2025. Its response acknowledged there had been delays and issues with communication for which it apologised. It offered £115 compensation comprised of £90 for inconvenience and £25 for time and trouble pursuing a complaint.
10. In her email to us of 10 November 2025 the resident said the repair was not resolved until earlier that month. The landlord has not responded to our request to clarify the date of completion. In her call to us of 20 April 2026 the resident said she had purchased her own heater to use during the period of the complaint. She said she was not told she could use the immersion heater for hot water until just before the repair was completed.
11. The resident was without heating and hot water for a period of 53 days between 3 September and 27 October 2025. Our compensation guidance says that £15 per day should be paid for a complete loss of heating and hot water. We have therefore ordered the landlord to pay £795 compensation for the total loss of services. It should also pay £200 for distress and inconvenience caused by total loss of services in addition to the £30 it offered for the missed appointment. This is in line with our compensation guidance for a failure which had a physical impact on the resident. It may deduct the £30 offered at stage 1 and £115 offered at stage 2 if this has already been paid.

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.