Newlon Housing Trust (202542337)
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Decision |
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Case ID |
202542337 |
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Decision type |
Investigation |
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Landlord |
Newlon Housing Trust |
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Landlord type |
Housing Association |
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Occupancy |
Assured Tenancy |
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Date |
18 May 2026 |
Background
- On 24 July 2025 the landlord attended the resident’s block of flats to resolve an issue of blocked balcony drains causing flooding to the resident’s property. On 4 September 2025 the resident reported to the landlord that his flat was flooding with water for a second time and the landlord arranged a drain clearance. On 24 September 2025 the landlord stated that the drainage system design was causing the resident’s balcony to flood during heavy rain.
What the complaint is about
- The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of:
- The resident’s reports of flooding and repairs.
- The resident’s complaint.
Our decision (determination)
- We found the landlord responsible for:
- Maladministration in its handling of the resident’s reports of flooding and repairs.
- No maladministration in its handling of the resident’s complaint.
We have made orders for the landlord to put things right.
Summary of reasons
The landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of flooding and repairs
- The landlord admitted some failings and offered the resident compensation of £485 in its stage 2 complaint response. However, it did not resolve the complaint because it did not explain to the resident how or when it would provide a lasting repair. The landlord did not respond to the resident’s request for repairs to his balcony or inspect the property until 4 months after its final complaint response. The landlord also did not explain to the resident how he could make a claim for damage to his flooring and personal items.
The landlord’s handling of the resident’s complaint
- The landlord responded to the complaint in line with its policy and procedures.
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.
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Order |
What the landlord must do |
Due date |
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1 |
Apology order The landlord must apologise in writing to the resident for the failures identified in this report. The landlord must ensure:
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No later than 15 June 2026 |
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2 |
Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident £1,130 to recognise the distress and inconvenience caused by its handling of his reports of flooding and repairs. This amount includes an additional sum of £645. It must be paid directly to the resident. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of payment by the due date. The landlord may deduct from the total figure any payments it has already paid.
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No later than 15 June 2026 |
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3 |
Communication order The landlord must write to the resident setting out its position on whether the resident can make a claim for damaged belongings through its insurance or compensation procedure, and what process he should follow to do this.
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No later than 15 June 2026 |
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4 |
Communication order The landlord must write to the resident to communicate when work will start and how frequently it will keep him updated until the repairs in the resident’s property and the lasting repair to the balcony drainage are completed.
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No later than 15 June 2026 |
Our investigation
The complaint procedure
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Date |
What happened |
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6 October 2025 |
The resident complained to the landlord that:
The resident asked the landlord to provide information on how it could provide a permanent solution to the flooding issue. |
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27 October 2025 |
The landlord provided its stage 1 complaint response. It stated that another resident had reported the repair on 24 July 2025, so it had not updated him. On 4 September 2025 an operative attended to clear blocked drains but was unable to get access. The landlord said that it had since cleared the drains and was looking for a permanent solution. |
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28 October 2025 |
The resident said he was dissatisfied with the stage 1 complaint response because of inaccuracies. He escalated the complaint. |
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3 December 2025 |
The landlord provided its stage 2 complaint response. It apologised for its poor communication following a drain clearance on 24 July 2025. The landlord confirmed that the balcony drainage system was inadequate and it was working to find a solution. It confirmed that remedial works to the resident’s balcony had been requested. The landlord offered the resident compensation of £485 for its failures. |
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Referral to the Ombudsman |
On 2 January 2026 the resident referred his complaint to us. He said the landlord did not adequately resolve the drainage issue after the first flooding event on 24 July 2025. This caused his property to flood again on 4 September 2025. The landlord had not communicated how or when it would permanently resolve the issue. He wanted the landlord to offer further compensation and complete the outstanding 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.
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Complaint |
The landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of flooding and repairs |
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Finding |
Maladministration |
What we have not investigated
- The resident has raised concerns to us about water damage in the property causing damp and mould, and recent missed appointments by the landlord. As these issues did not from part of the formal complaint to the landlord under consideration, this is not something that this Service can investigate at this stage as the landlord needs to be provided with the opportunity to investigate and respond to these reports. This Service sent a notification letter to the landlord on 13 March 2026 that there could be a material change in the property that means Awaabs Law may apply. The resident will need to contact the landlord to get this matter resolved, and if appropriate, raise a separate complaint. He may then approach the Ombudsman if he remains dissatisfied.
What we have investigated
- On 24 July 2025 the landlord raised a repair request for a blocked balcony drain in the resident’s block. On 6 October 2025 the resident complained to the landlord that it had not informed him of the outcome of this repair.
- In its stage 1 complaint response the landlord stated that an operative had cleared the drain. It said it had not updated the resident because its records had indicated that his neighbour had reported the issue. In its stage 2 complaint response, the landlord acknowledged that the resident had reported the blocked drain on 24 July 2025 and apologised for its poor communication.
- On 4 September 2025 the resident reported to the landlord that his property was being flooded again because of poor balcony drainage. The landlord raised an emergency repair. The resident contacted the landlord the next day to advise that the contractor had not attended. In its stage 1 complaint response on 27 October 2025 the landlord told the resident that this had not been a missed appointment as the contractor had been unable to get access.
- The resident queried this when he escalated his complaint to stage 2 on 28 October 2025. He said that he had called the landlord’s contractor on the day of the appointment to find out what time they would be attending. The contractor had said that the operative would call when he was on his way to the property, but the resident did not receive a call. In its stage 2 complaint response on 3 December 2025 the landlord apologised that the resident did not receive a call from the contractor.
- After the landlord had unblocked drains at the neighbour’s property on 24 July 2025, the contractor recommended a CCTV survey. On 4 September 2025 the landlord told the resident that it had not carried out a CCTV survey after the first flood because of a system error.
- In its stage 1 complaint response, the landlord had told the resident that it was looking for a permanent solution to the issues caused by the drainage design. In his escalation to stage 2, the resident asked for timescales for a resolution because he was concerned about future flooding.
- TheComplaint Handling Code (April 2024) (the Code)says outstanding actions must be tracked and appropriate updates provided to the resident.In its stage 2 complaint response the landlord told the resident that it would provide a clear timeframe for a permanent resolution. However, there is no evidence that the landlord provided an action plan to the resident with timescales for when it would start work or how frequently it would provide updates.
- In its stage 2 complaint response, the landlord acknowledged that the resident had raised repairs on 5 and 22 September 2025 to make his balcony floor and walls watertight. The landlord’s repair policy says it aims to complete all urgent and routine repairs within 20 working days. We have not seen evidence that the landlord completed these repairs, or kept the resident updated.
- On 5 September 2025 the resident told the landlord’s complaints team that rugs, books and flooring had been damaged because of the flooding. He confirmed to the landlord that he did not have contents insurance. The landlord told the resident that it would make a record of the damage. However, there is no evidence that the landlord advised the resident how to make a claim for damaged belongings through its insurer, or that it tried to inspect the property for disrepair.
- In its stage 2 complaint response the landlord offered the resident compensation of £485 broken down as follows:
- £25 for the missed appointment
- £150 for service failures and poor communication
- £60 for delayed repairs (£15 x 4 weeks)
- £250 for distress and inconvenience.
- There is no evidence that the landlord inspected the property for disrepair until 13 April 2026. The inspection report confirmed that flooding caused by a blocked balcony drain had damaged skirting boards and laminate flooring in the property. It stated that the property was habitable, but areas of mould needed treatment. It recommended internal and external repairs.
- On 5 May 2025 the landlord carried out an asbestos survey in preparation for works. The landlord has told us that it plans to temporarily rehouse the resident while works take place.
- Where there are admitted failings by a landlord, this Service will consider whether the redress offered by the landlord put things right and resolved the resident’s complaint satisfactorily in the circumstances. In considering this we take into account whether the landlord’s offer of redress was in line with the Ombudsman’s dispute resolution principles of: be fair (follow fair processes and recognise what went wrong), put things right, and learn from outcomes.
- The landlord’s offer of compensation was proportionate for failures it identified in its handling of the residents reports of flooding on 24 July 2025 and 4 September 2025. However, the landlord has not used its complaint process to arrange a lasting repair or fully put things right.
- The landlord unreasonably delayed in inspecting the property and in carrying out repairs. Despite saying in its complaint responses that it that it was looking to provide a permanent solution, it has not provided information to the resident on how or when it will do this. It has not set out timescales for when this information will be provided.
- The landlord has not provided a response to the resident’s concerns about damage to his flooring and personal possessions in the property caused by the flooding.
- We have found the landlord responsible for maladministration in its handling of the resident’s reports of flooding and repairs. We order the landlord to pay compensation of £345 for 23 weeks of further delays to repairs, calculated at £15 per week. This is in line with the landlord’s compensation guidance for delays in repairs once the repair is out of target.
- We order the landlord to pay additional compensation of £300 for the resident’s likely distress and inconvenience caused by the landlord’s delay to provide a lasting resolution or action plan since its final complaint response. These amounts are within the range of awards set out in our compensation guidance where the landlord has made some attempt to put things right, but the offer was not proportionate to the failings identified by our investigation.
- We also order the landlord to set out its position on whether the resident can make a claim for damaged belongings through its insurer or compensation procedure, and what process he should follow to do this. The landlord has stated it will decant the resident to commence works, and we have ordered it to tell the resident how, and how often, it will keep him updated throughout this process until the works are completed.
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Complaint |
The landlord’s handling of the resident’s complaint |
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Finding |
No maladministration |
- The landlord’s complaint policy at the time of the complaint complies with the definition of a complaint in the Code. The timescales in the landlord’s complaint procedure refers to those in the Code.
- The landlord’s complaint responses were sent in line with its stated timescales.
Learning
- The landlord did not provide all the evidence for our investigation when it was first requested. During our investigation we found that the landlord had not provided full repair records. While this has not affected the outcome for the resident, it would have been beneficial to our investigation to receive full repair records for the events and issues referred to in the resident’s complaint.
Knowledge information management (record keeping)
- The landlord raised a repair to the neighbour’s property on 24 July 2025, but the landlord did not accurately record who had reported the repair and why. This means that it did not have accurate information when investigating the resident’s stage 1 complaint.
Communication
- The landlord’s complaints team communicated with the resident effectively. However, information and action from departments responsible for inspecting and repairing the property made it difficult for the complaint team to fully resolve the resident’s complaint.