Paragon Asra Housing Limited (202434895)

Decision
Case ID	202434895
Decision type	Investigation
Landlord	Paragon Asra Housing Limited
Landlord type	Housing Association
Occupancy	Assured Tenancy
Date	15 December 2025

Background

The resident lives in a 2-bedroom house with her son. She has complained about persistent condensation and moisture, which make the property feel and smell damp. The issue is ongoing and remains unresolved by the landlord.

What the complaint is about

The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of the resident’s:
1. Reports of damp and mould.
2. Associated complaint.

Our decision (determination)

We have found that there was:
1. Severe maladministration in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of damp and mould.
2. Service failure in the landlord’s complaint handling.

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

Summary of reasons

Damp and mould

The landlord delayed in raising an inspection, and in doing so, failed to respond appropriately to potential hazards. Despite the resident reporting that the issues were ongoing, the landlord took little action to pursue further investigations. This resulted in unreasonable delays in identifying the source of the damp and mould and determining the necessary remedial works.

Complaint handling

Though the landlord’s complaint responses were timely, it failed to address the resident’s health concerns. It did not use the complaints process to resolve the ongoing issues.

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. The landlord must ensure: The apology is provided by a member of its executive team. The apology is specific to the failures identified in this decision, meaningful and empathetic. It has due regard to our apologies guidance.	No later than 12 January 2026
2	Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident £1,968 made up as follows: £868 for loss of amenity as outlined in paragraph 23. £1,000 to recognise the distress and inconvenience caused by the errors in its handling of her reports of damp and mould. £100 for the complaint handling failures identified. This must be paid directly to the resident by the due date. 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 made.	No later than 12 January 2026
3	Post inspection order Following the inspection completed on 20 November 2025, the landlord should write to both us and the resident by the due date, setting out: Whether the property is fit for human habitation and whether there are any hazards. A full scope of works to achieve a lasting and effective resolution to the issue. Whether temporary alternative accommodation is necessary, either because of the condition of the property or during the works.	No later than 12 January 2026
4	Works order The landlord must take all steps to ensure the remedial works for the damp issues are started no later than the due date. If the landlord cannot start the works in this time, it must explain to us, by the due date: Why it cannot start the works and provide evidence to support its reasons. It must provide a revised timescale of when it will start and finish the works; or The steps it has taken to start the works and provide us with documentary evidence of its attempts to ensure the works were started. It must provide a revised timescale if it is able to or explain why it cannot. Whether suitable alternative accommodation is necessary and will be made available to the resident.	No later than 09 February 2026

Record keeping order

The landlord must contact the resident by the due date to ensure that its health and vulnerability records accurately reflect her household’s circumstances.

No later than

12 January 2026

Recommendations

Our recommendations are not binding, and a landlord may decide not to follow them.

Our recommendations
It is recommended that the landlord contacts the resident to establish if there are any outstanding issues associated with the windows. If there are, the landlord should address these in line with its relevant policies and procedures.
It is recommended that the landlord familiarises itself with our spotlight report on Knowledge and Information Management (KIM). It should consider assessing its internal recording procedures against the recommendations in this report.

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

Date	What happened
November 2023 to March 2024	The resident reported concerns to the landlord about moisture on her living room and bedroom walls. She also advised that the windows were allowing heat to escape.
24 April 2024	The resident complained to the landlord. She advised excessive condensation on her windows was causing mould. She also reported that the property was very cold due to draughts from the windows.
8 May 2024	The landlord issued its stage 1 response. It upheld the complaint on the basis that its poor internal communication had led to delays. It confirmed that an inspection had been carried out on 23 April 2024 and that additional repairs had been raised following this visit. It also offered £200 compensation for the lack of communication and delays.
29 October 2024	The resident escalated her complaint. She said a damp and mould survey had been carried out that day, identifying high levels of moisture in her living room and bedroom, for which extensive repairs were required. She expressed concern that she had been living with this issue for a long time, despite previously reporting it.
4 December 2024	The landlord issued its stage 2 response. It did not uphold the complaint as it said it had been unable to identify any service failures. It explained that it held no records confirming a surveyor had attended on 29 October 2024 or that the resident had been advised there were high levels of damp and moisture.
Referral to the Ombudsman	The resident asked us to investigate on 10 December 2024. She said that the damp and mould issues remained unresolved.
9 December 2025	During her contact with us, the resident said that a surveyor had recently inspected her property and confirmed that extensive remedial works were required. As an outcome, she said she would like the repairs to be completed so she can live comfortably in the property.

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.

Complaint	The landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of damp and mould
Finding	Severe maladministration

The resident said she had experienced issues related to damp and mould for several years. In the interests of fairness, and considering the availability of evidence, this investigation will focus on events from April 2023 onwards, covering the 12-month period prior to the complaint being raised. This approach is in line with the landlord’s complaints policy and the available evidence.
The landlord’s repair records lack sufficient detail. While they show the date repairs were raised and their status, they do not include the outcome of appointments or a completion date. We also have limited details of the landlord’s contact history with the resident. This has hindered our ability to assess when issues were reported, what actions were taken to resolve them, and whether the landlord acted in accordance with the response times set out in its maintenance policy.
It is unclear from the landlord’s records when the resident first reported damp and mould affecting her property, which points to a record keeping issue. The landlord first responded to these reports on 27 November 2023, when it confirmed it had requested an inspection. The resident replied on 6 December 2023, asking for her case to be treated as a priority. However, the landlord did not respond further, and no inspection took place. This was unreasonable, as damp and mould are potential hazards under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) and should be treated with urgency due to the potential health impact.
On 5 February 2024, the landlord raised a repair after the resident again reported condensation and moisture in her living room and stated that the windows were causing heat loss. The repair was marked as completed, but due to the lack of clear and detailed records, we cannot confirm whether the landlord’s response was appropriate or complied with its repair timescales.
Between 11 March 2024 and 17 April 2024, the landlord raised further repairs related to damp and mould, including to overhaul the windows, and completed 2 mould washes. However, it did not carry out an inspection until 23 April 2024 – 55 days after the resident re-reported the issues and nearly 5 months after confirming an inspection had been requested following the initial report. This delay was unreasonable and significantly exceeded the timescales set out in the landlord’s guide to condensation, mould and damp, which states inspections should be completed within 5 working days.
At the inspection on 23 April 2024, the surveyor found no visible signs of damp and mould but identified medium to high humidity levels. They advised that no follow-on works were required and provided appropriate guidance to the resident on ventilation and heating, explaining that these measures should help manage and prevent condensation in the future.
During the stage 1 investigation, the resident raised concerns that she would struggle to maintain the temperature suggested by the surveyor due to draughts from the windows. In its stage 1 response on 8 May 2024, the landlord confirmed an appointment had been booked for 10 May 2024 to repair the window seals. However, repair records show this was cancelled, with no clear reason provided, indicating further record-keeping failures. Additional repairs were raised for the kitchen and bathroom windows on 23 May 2024 and marked as completed, but it is unclear when these were carried out or whether they resolved the draughts. A recommendation has been made in respect of this.
The landlord carried out a further inspection on 14 May 2024, identifying low–level damp to the living room wall. It referred to the floor system and noted possible “bridging”. The surveyor also highlighted a possible drainage issue that could be contributing to the damp, requiring further investigation through a drain survey. While it is positive that another inspection was completed, it is concerning that these issues were not identified during the inspection less than a month earlier.
The drain survey was completed on 15 August 2024, 66 working days after the inspection. This was an unreasonable delay and significantly exceeded the landlord’s 15-working–day timescale for non-emergency repairs. The survey found all pipes were in a serviceable condition, apart from a minor fracture that was not considered high risk. When we requested an update during this investigation, the landlord advised that it had concluded the drainage and damp and mould issues were unrelated. However, there is no evidence that this outcome was communicated to the resident or that the landlord progressed further investigations into the cause of the damp it had previously identified, which was inappropriate.
On 29 October 2024, the resident escalated her complaint, explaining that a surveyor had attended that day and identified high moisture levels requiring extensive repairs. In its final response on 4 December 2024, the landlord said it had no record of an inspection on that date. While we do not dispute the resident’s account, our findings must be based on documentary evidence, and the landlord’s records contain no information about an inspection. The landlord appropriately made internal enquiries to establish whether any records existed. However, internal correspondence confirms it could not locate any record of an appointment or report from 29 October 2024.
This discrepancy between the parties’ understanding is concerning. Given the resident had reported ongoing damp and mould issues and provided an account of what she was told by the surveyor, it would have been reasonable for the landlord to investigate further, for example by arranging another inspection. It apparently did not do this, which was a failing – particularly in light of findings from previous inspections. It also did not outline how it intended to resolve the damp problem, leaving the resident with unresolved issues. This likely caused her frustration and uncertainty.
The resident told us she has an anxiety disorder and that the issues in the property left her feeling stressed and overwhelmed. She also reported that both she and her son were frequently unwell with coughs and colds, which she believed were caused by the damp and mould. The landlord was aware of these concerns during its complaint investigation. While we are not medical specialists and cannot determine impact on health, we can consider the distress and inconvenience caused by any failings in the landlord’s response.
These circumstances should have prompted the landlord to act with greater urgency until the matter was resolved. Instead, its inaction allowed the issues to remain unresolved, which was inappropriate given the resident’s concerns. When we asked for details of any vulnerabilities, the landlord said it had none recorded. A relevant order has been made in respect of this.
During contact with us in December 2025, the resident reported that damp remained an ongoing issue, particularly in the living room. When we requested an update as part of this investigation, the landlord provided an inspection report dated 20 November 2025. The report confirmed the presence of damp and mould in both the bedroom and living room. It noted that the floor system in the living room was contributing to “cold bridging,” resulting in dampness and wet plaster. To address this, the report recommended improving insulation around the floor and stated that remedial works were being progressed by the repairs team. An order has been made in relation to this matter.
Although a resolution is in progress, the landlord has not yet completed the works. It took 2 years for it to confirm the cause of the damp and mould and the necessary remedial actions. This prolonged delay has had a significant impact on the resident and her son, who have continued to live in damp conditions throughout this period. Such delays are unreasonable and likely caused considerable distress and inconvenience to the resident.
Our spotlight report on damp and mould (published in October 2021) states, “It is imperative that residents are not left living with damp and mould for an extended period” and “Landlords should ensure that their responses to reports of damp and mould are timely and reflect the urgency of the issue.” We expect landlords to resolve reports of damp and mould within a reasonable time, which the landlord in this case did not. Had the landlord followed these recommendations, it might have prevented a service failure.
We have considered whether compensation based on rent is appropriate in the circumstances of the case. Following the inspection on 14 May 2024, the landlord took little action to investigate and address the damp issues, which were primarily present in the living room. Although this did not prevent the room from being used, it would have had a significant impact on the resident’s use of the property. We consider that a 10% rent reduction is appropriate over a period of 79 weeks to reflect the reduced amenity and the resident’s loss of full enjoyment of her home.
The number of weeks has been calculated from 14 May 2024 (when the surveyor identified damp) to 20 November 2025 (when remedial works were recommended). During this period, the resident was charged rent of £108.83 per week for 46 weeks and £111.30 per week for 33 weeks. Based on 10% of the rent, the total amenity loss compensation is calculated at £868. This is an approximate calculation.
The landlord offered £200 in compensation during the complaints process. This does not adequately reflect the impact of the failings identified in this investigation. We consider an additional payment of £800 to be appropriate, which brings the total compensation the landlord is ordered to pay the resident for distress and inconvenience to £1,000. This is in addition to the £868 ordered above. This has been calculated in accordance with our remedies guidance, which recommends awards of this level where there have been failures that accumulated over a significant period of time.

Complaint	The landlord’s complaint handling
Finding	Service failure

Our Complaint Handling Code (‘the Code’) sets out when and how a landlord should respond to complaints. In this case, the relevant Code was published in April 2024.
The timescales outlined in the landlord’s complaints policy were consistent with the requirements of the Code. At stage 1, the landlord acknowledged and responded to the resident’s complaint within the required timeframe. At stage 2, it took 6 working days to acknowledge the resident’s escalation request, representing a one-day delay. This was a minor delay and there is no evidence that it caused any detriment to the resident. However, there were other failures.
The landlord’s responses did not address the resident’s concerns about the impact of the living conditions on both her own and her son’s health, despite these being raised at both complaint stages. As a result, the responses were not proportionate to the seriousness of the concerns raised.
The stage 2 complaint was the landlord’s final opportunity to review its handling and resolve the substantive issue. However, it did not set out how it intended to address the outstanding problems. This was despite the resident clearly advising that the issue was ongoing and expressing concern about the length of time she and her son had been living in these conditions. As a result, the landlord failed to use its complaints process as an effective tool to put things right and missed an opportunity to rebuild the landlord-tenant relationship.
We consider a payment of £100 to be appropriate compensation for the complaint handling failures. This is in accordance with our remedies guidance for circumstances where there was a failure by the landlord in the service it provided, which it did not appropriately acknowledge or fully put right.

Learning

Although the landlord has a dedicated damp and mould policy, it lacks sufficient detail on how it will respond to reports of damp and mould. A clear and comprehensive policy is essential to ensure timely, consistent, and effective action when such issues arise. The landlord should familiarise itself with our spotlight report on damp and mould and consider reviewing its policy to include specific response times, investigation steps, and communication standards.

Knowledge and information management (record keeping)

The landlord’s repair records lack detail and do not show the outcome or completion dates of appointments. It was also unclear when the resident reported issues due to limited contact history. The landlord should ensure it has systems in place to accurately record all communication with residents, including when repairs are reported, completed, and the outcomes of appointments.

Communication

There was a lack of effective communication from the landlord, with the resident left to chase and seek answers regarding the damp issues. This highlights the importance of maintaining regular, proactive communication and providing clear action plans to address reported issues.