One Vision Housing Limited (202400957)

Decision
Case ID	202400957
Decision type	Investigation
Landlord	One Vision Housing Limited
Landlord type	Housing Association
Occupancy	Assured Tenancy
Date	27 March 2026

Background

The resident raised concerns about damp and cold conditions in her home in January 2023. Over the following months, she contacted the landlord several times about damp and mould in the hallway and living room, and incomplete repairs.

What the complaint is about

This complaint is about the landlord’s handling of the resident’s:
1. Reports of outstanding repairs to her living room and hallway.
2. Complaint.

Our decision (determination)

We have found:
1. Maladministration in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of outstanding repairs to her living room and hallway.
2. Service failure in the landlord’s handling of the complaint.

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

Summary of reasons

Living room and hallway repairs

The landlord did not act in line with its repairs policy. There were avoidable delays. While it completed some works, its overall service and communication with the resident fell short.

The complaint

The landlord closed the complaint prematurely at stage 1 of its process. Its stage 2 response lacked detail and did not reflect on its handling of the matter at stage 1. It also did not demonstrate any learning.

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. It must ensure it has due regard to our apologies guidance.	No later than 27 April 2026
2	Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident £575 compensation. This comprises: £500 to recognise the distress and inconvenience caused by its handling of the living room and hallway repairs £75 for its complaint handling failures It must pay this directly to her by the due date. It may deduct from the total figure any payment it has already made. It must provide documentary evidence of payment by the due date.	No later than 27 April 2026
3	Inspection order The landlord must contact the resident to arrange an inspection by a senior surveyor who has had no previous involvement. It must take all reasonable steps to ensure it completes this by the due date. If the landlord cannot gain access to complete the inspection, it must provide us with documentary evidence of its attempts to inspect the property no later than the due date. What the inspection must achieve The landlord must ensure that the surveyor inspects the living room, bathroom, and hallway, and produces a written report with photos. It needs to provide a copy to us and the resident. The report must set out: whether the property is fit for human habitation and whether there are any hazards the most likely cause of the issues described by the resident whether the landlord is responsible to repair or resolve the issues, together with reasons if it is not responsible a full scope of works to achieve a lasting and effective repair to the issues (if the landlord is responsible) the likely timescales to commence and complete the work whether temporary alternative accommodation is necessary either because of the condition of the property or during the works	No later than 15 May 2026

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

Date	What happened
12 October 2023	The resident complained to the landlord, stating that she reported damp in her living room and hallway earlier in the year. She explained that several staff visited, and on 16 June 2023 a worker confirmed damp, advised that a damp course was needed, and skimmed 1 wall due to limited time. She said that since then, it had conducted no further work despite her chasing several times. She reported that it had left her with damaged wallpaper, incomplete plastering, and unresolved damp.
16 October 2023	The landlord acknowledged the complaint.
30 October 2023	In its stage 1 complaint response, the landlord said it had made several attempts to contact the resident to arrange an inspection and discuss extending the complaint timescale. However, it was unable to reach her. As a result, it said it could not provide a resolution and had closed the complaint.
1 November 2023	The resident responded to the landlord, advising that she had been on holiday without internet access and could not respond. She asked it to arrange the inspection.
18 January 2024	The resident contacted the landlord to raise a further complaint. She said that despite chasing for an inspection, it had not attended or progressed the repairs.
22 January 2024	The landlord escalated the complaint to stage 2 and sent an acknowledgement letter to the resident.
5 February 2024	The landlord agreed a complaint extension with the resident so it could inspect the property.
16 February 2024	In the landlord’s stage 2 complaint response, it apologised for the repair delay. It attributed this to miscommunication and the need for a surveyor’s inspection after the contractor’s visit. It confirmed a senior surveyor attended on 6 February 2024 and raised several work orders. It outlined the appointments. It confirmed it had completed the damp proof course to the chimney breast on 8 February 2024. It offered £150 compensation for the delays and miscommunication.
Referral to the Ombudsman	The resident was dissatisfied with the landlord’s final response and referred the complaint to us. She said it did not attend some of the scheduled appointments, completed other works poorly, and that as of March 2026, her home remained cold and in a poor condition. She wants the landlord to address the root cause of the problems rather than conducting patch 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 has happened or comment on all the information we have reviewed. We have only included the key information that forms the basis of our decision of whether the landlord is responsible for maladministration.

Complaint	The landlord’s handling of living room and hallway repairs
Finding	Maladministration

What we have not considered

Within the resident’s communications with us, she raised concerns about repairs the landlord had completed in the bathroom and issues with rat damage to her garden. She did not raise this within her initial complaint of October 2023. We have no power to investigate complaints which the landlord has not had the chance to put right first. There is no evidence the resident raised her concerns as a formal complaint to the landlord or that it responded under its complaint procedure. Therefore, we have not investigated this further.

What we have considered

After the resident raised concerns about condensation on 31 January 2023, the landlord booked an inspection for 15 March 2023. This exceeded the 20‑working‑day response time set out in its repair policy.
When a contractor confirmed damp in June 2023 and advised that a damp proof course was required, the landlord failed to follow up with repairs until April 2024. This delay of almost 10 months meant that the resident continued to live with damp and visible damage that it ought to have addressed more promptly, in accordance with its own policy.
The evidence provided by the landlord shows that in July 2023, it cancelled damp works raised by a contractor for internal budget reasons. It did not tell the resident about this decision, arrange a follow up inspection, or consider temporary measures to prevent the problem from worsening. Financial pressures do not remove its duty to maintain its properties or keep residents properly informed. The failure to communicate the cancellation left her with no understanding of why the repair had not progressed. It also failed to consider any detriment to her living in a property with damp.
We found the landlord’s records unclear. Several contractors left notes, but these did not always show when they attended, what they found, or what they agreed. This made it difficult to establish a clear timeline of events and undermined the landlord’s ability to manage the repairs effectively. Good record keeping is essential, especially in damp cases, where conditions can worsen over time. In this case, the poor records contributed to delays and missed opportunities to put things right.
Communication throughout the case was inconsistent. The landlord failed to update the resident after cancelling the July 2023 work order, despite her repeated attempts to chase progress. When it agreed in November 2023 to arrange a new inspection, it did not follow through, and she had to chase again in January 2024. This led to avoidable time and trouble and likely caused further distress.
In its stage 2 response, the landlord stated it had completed a damp proof course to the chimney breast in February 2024. The resident disputed this. There is no evidence that it responded to her concerns or evidenced its position. She also reported missed appointments and explained that the issues continued months after the complaint process ended. She was also unhappy about the quality of some of the works. It is unclear from the evidence available whether it investigated her additional concerns following its final response.
The landlord’s failings likely had a significant effect on the resident. She lived with damp for a considerable period. The incomplete plastering and damaged decoration affected her daily comfort and the appearance of her home. The repeated need to chase for updates likely caused distress and frustration. The poor record keeping and lack of clear communication added to the confusion and contributed to delays resolving the problem.
The landlord originally offered £150 compensation to the resident. This amount did not reflect the seriousness of the failings, the length of time she lived with unresolved damp, or the avoidable effort she had to make in repeatedly chasing it. Considering our remedies guidance, £500 is a more proportionate financial remedy. This better reflects the extended delays, the missed opportunities to resolve the issue, the lack of communication, and the impact on her living conditions. It also recognises the distress and inconvenience she experienced over a prolonged period. In the circumstances, we have also ordered an inspection of the property led by a senior surveyor not previously involved.

Complaint	The handling of the complaint
Finding	Service failure

At the time of the complaint, the landlord’s complaint policy met the Complaint Handling Code’s definition of a complaint. However, its complaint handling timescales were not aligned, setting a 10-working-day response time at both stages.
The landlord has since amended its policy so that its response timescales align with the Code. However, the revised policy does not specify timescales for granting extensions. This lack of clarity poses a risk of inconsistent practice. We have therefore raised a learning point regarding this.
The landlord acknowledged the complaint at stage 1 but then closed it on the basis that it could not reach the resident to arrange an inspection or secure an extension. Her brief unavailability (a holiday without internet) was understandable. In such circumstances, it would be reasonable for it to provide a response setting out a time for a future dated inspection and outlining the next steps to remedy her concerns. Closing the complaint at stage 1 was unreasonable.
At stage 2, the landlord agreed a complaint extension with the resident. It issued its response 21 working days from the date of complaint. While its response represented progress, it was limited. It apologised for miscommunication and delays but did not set out a clear chronology of failures or demonstrate any learning. It also failed to examine its complaint handling at stage 1. We have, therefore, made a failure finding and awarded £75 compensation. This is in line with our remedies guidance for failures which may not have significantly affected the overall outcome for the resident.

Learning

General learning

The landlord ought to ensure its complaints policy fully aligns with the Code in terms of extension timescales.

Knowledge information management (record keeping)

The landlord should ensure it captures sufficient information within its records to evidence its actions, interactions with residents, and decision making. It may wish to review our spotlight report on knowledge and information management.

Communication

The landlord did not evidence effective communication with the resident throughout this case. It could consider accessing our free Centre for Learning and reviewing our training videos for landlords on the importance of clear communication.