Places for People Group Limited (202400604)

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REPORT

COMPLAINT 202400604

Places for People Group Limited

23 June 2025

 

Our approach

The Housing Ombudsman’s approach to investigating and determining complaints is to decide what is fair in all the circumstances of the case. This is set out in the Housing Act 1996 and the Housing Ombudsman Scheme (the Scheme). The Ombudsman considers the evidence and looks to see if there has been any ‘maladministration’, for example whether the landlord has failed to keep to the law, followed proper procedure, followed good practice or behaved in a reasonable and competent manner.

Both the resident and the landlord have submitted information to the Ombudsman and this has been carefully considered. Their accounts of what has happened are summarised below. This report is not an exhaustive description of all the events that have occurred in relation to this case, but an outline of the key issues as a background to the investigation’s findings.

The complaint

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

Background

  1. The resident has been a secure tenant of the landlord since 2013. The property is a 3-bedroom terraced house with 2 bathrooms.
  2. On 16 January 2023, the resident reported to the landlord that there was damp and mould in 1 bathroom.
  3. On 21 April 2023, the resident reported the issue again and explained black mould was growing in the middle of the ceiling and in all of the rooms. She also reported that she had a child with health issues.
  4. The resident made a formal complaint to the landlord on 19 May 2023 and on the same day chased the damp and mould survey. She stated that the landlord had not carried out any damp and mould survey and had not responded to her initial reports.
  5. On the same day, the landlord instructed a specialist consultant to carry out a damp and mould survey.
  6. The landlord issued its stage 1 complaint response on 16 June 2023. It acknowledged a delay in the damp and mould survey, and apologised for this and any inconvenience caused. It stated that it would provide an update after receiving the report, which would recommend any necessary repair work. It also acknowledged that the resident’s initial complaint was not responded to, and it offered an apology and £50 compensation.
  7. On 19 June 2023, the landlord cleaned the front and back gutter. The landlord received the damp and mould survey report on 20 July 2023 and raised the works recommended by the report. On 9 November 2023, the resident informed the landlord of damage to her personal items and issues with her son’s health due to the damp and mould. The landlord assisted her in making an insurance claim.
  8. The resident was unhappy with the landlord’s stage 1 response and requested escalation of her complaint on 13 November 2023. She explained the damp and mould got progressively worse over the 6 years and returned within days of cleaning. The resident expressed concern about her family’s health and her belongings. Furthermore, she was not happy with the offer of £50 compensation.
  9. The landlord issued its stage 2 response on 8 December 2023 and said it should have completed the works by then. It accepted that it did not offer the expected standard of service and offered £200 compensation for the delay in repair and inconvenience caused, lack of communication, missed appointment and service recovery, which it said was in line with its compensation policy. Furthermore, it acknowledged that it did not send an update as per the stage 1 response regarding the outcome of the survey. The landlord also said it had offered additional assistance to the resident by providing energy vouchers, guidance leaflets on condensation, and submitting a claim to its insurers for damage to personal belongings. Additionally, the landlord said it had requested a winter warm pack for the resident on 30 November 2023.
  10. On 9 January 2024, the resident requested a decant until the mould was dealt with as she was worried about her son’s health. The landlord did not decant her and completed the works in February 2024. The resident since reported some issues with the ventilation system installed and subsequent increased electricity bills.
  11. In May 2024, the resident contacted the Service to bring her complaint. She explained her concerns were about the handling of “severe” damp and mould, delays, cancelled appointments, and compensation.

Assessment and findings

Scope of investigation

  1. In the complaint to this Service and the landlord, the resident said that the damp and mould issue had been going on for 6 years. While the historical issues provided contextual background to the current complaint, this investigation has focused on the landlord’s handling of the resident’s recent reports from January 2023 that were considered in the landlord’s final response. This is because residents are expected to raise complaints with their landlords normally within 12 months of the matters arising. This is so that the landlord has a reasonable opportunity to consider the issues whilst they are still ‘live’, and while the evidence is available to reach an informed conclusion on the events that occurred.
  2. On 9 November 2023, after the stage 1 response, the resident expressed concerns to the landlord regarding damage to her personal items. This was dealt through an insurance claim made to the landlord’s insurer and dealt with outside of the complaints process. We cannot comment on the likely outcome of any liability or insurance claim the resident has submitted. As such, this has not formed part of this investigation.
  3. The resident reported further concerns regarding increased energy bills following the repair worksrelated to the ventilation system and the installation of the positive input ventilation (“PIV”) unit which were completed in February 2024.While the landlord responded to these repair requests and the works were completed in May 2025, it has not had the opportunity to consider any associated complaints through its internal complaints procedure. The scope of this investigation is limited to the issues raised during the resident’s formal complaint. Any new issues or repairs raised following the end of the landlord’s complaint process will not be considered as part of this investigation. This is because the landlord needs to be given a fair opportunity to investigate and respond to any reported dissatisfaction with its actions prior to our involvement. If the resident is dissatisfied with the landlord’s handling of the subsequent issues, she can address this directly with the landlord and progress as a new formal complaint if required.
  4. Throughout the period of the complaint, the resident raised concerns about how the issues and the landlord’s subsequent service delivery may have impacted her child’s health. The Ombudsman is unable to make a determination that the actions or omissions of a landlord have had a causal impact on a person’s health. Such a determination is more appropriate through an insurance claim or by a court. Should the resident wish to pursue a claim relating to the impact on her or her family’s health, she has the option to seek legal advice. The Ombudsman has, however, taken into account any general distress and inconvenience that the landlord’s service delivery may have caused.

The landlord’s handling of reports of damp and mould

  1. Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018 state that landlords must ensure that its properties are fit for human habitation, including by avoiding defects from repairs, damp, and mould.
  2. The Housing Act 2004 states that landlord must provide a safe and healthy environment in its properties by keeping these free from unnecessary and avoidable hazards, and by providing adequate protection from these, including falling elements, structural collapse, and damp and mould growth.
  3. The resident first reported the damp and mould issue on 16 January 2023. The landlord’s repair’s policy sets out that the landlord aims to complete surveys within 45 days. However, significant and avoidable delays occurred at various stages, with the survey completed on 17 July 2023 (182 days from the report).  While it is reasonable for landlords to outsource work to specialist contractors, it must implement effective oversight and monitoring processes to ensure timely completion. It was not reasonable to let the resident raise multiple reports for the same issue. The survey request was left unactioned for this period despite further reports from the resident on 21 April 2023 and 19 May 2023 (in her formal complaint).
  4. The recommended repairs for the damp and mould in the bathroom and the rooms were undertaken on 7 and 8 December 2023, 327 days after the initial report. The resident reported that the installation of the specialist ventilation was completed prior to 13 February 2024. While we have not seen evidence of the completion of those works in the landlord’s file, we have seen an email sent by the resident to the landlord confirming the works had been completed and the air feels crisp, however the PIV unit had increased her energy bills substantially. This further delay to the ventilation unit was 68 days after the earlier repairs were undertaken (in December 2023) and a total of 13 months since the initial report. The delays significantly exceeded any reasonable timescales.
  5. The landlord at stage 2 acknowledged failures related to the delays up to the point of the response (from the initial report in January 2023 to completing the works in December 2023) and offered £200 compensation. It is reassuring that the landlord acknowledged failings and offered compensation. When there are failures by the landlord, we will consider whether in its response it has followed the dispute resolution principles of being fair, putting things right and learning from the outcome.
  6. The landlord explained that the initial delay was due to the contractor not contacting the resident. It said that following the resident’s initial report in January 2023, it had instructed a specialist consultant to carry out the survey and the consultant did not contact the resident to book the survey. The landlord said in its response that it had chased the specialist consultant on 2 occasions. However, it could not provide evidence for our investigation to support this statement. This Service has only seen evidence that the landlord instructed a contractor following the resident’s third report of damp and mould on 19 May 2023 and the contractor contacted the resident on 14 June 2023. This questions the landlord’s credibility of the investigation and the accuracy of the information provided.
  7. Furthermore, the landlord’s file suggests that it planned to complete further works recommended in the damp and mould survey related to the ventilation system on 9 January 2024 but there are no details provided about the outcome of this appointment.The landlord was unable to on request, to provide records to allow the Ombudsman to determine an adequate timeline of events relating to the survey delays and the dates of remedial works. This was requested on 2 occasions and it has failed to provide this information. The landlord’s file lacked details on repair reports, dates of chasing the contractor, and details on the actual works carried out. This made it difficult to determine when the contractor was instructed and chased, any missed appointments and what work was carried out as we had to rely on internal correspondence, and the landlord’s and the resident’s statements.
  8. Clear record keeping and management is a core function of a repairs service and effective complaint handling, not only so that evidence can be provided to the Ombudsman when requested, but because this assists the landlord in its understanding of the condition of a property, enabling outstanding works to be monitored and enabling provision of accurate information to residents. It additionally assists the landlord to appropriately and fairly investigate and respond to any complaints.
  9. Following the first report of damp and mould in January 2023, there was no evidence that the landlord inspected the property to assess the severity of the issue, the associated risks and household vulnerabilities or available options while awaiting for the specialist survey to be carried out. It would have been reasonable for the landlord to consider any interim works to reduce or mitigate risk and prevent damage.
  10. The landlord was aware the survey and remedial work would likely take a long time given the complexity involved with damp and mould repairs. It would have been appropriate to have considered temporary measures such as mould wash, providing a dehumidifier or arranging a decant in more severe cases to reduce any risk. Consideration of temporary measurers was particularly important after the resident reported that her child was experiencing health issues on 21 April 2023. This Service has not seen any evidence of the landlord considering the seriousness of the situation, the risks to the resident and her family, whether the property was fit for habitation, and whether any temporary measures should be considered. This was not appropriate given the overall delays and the reported household health concerns.
  11. In its stage 1 response letter, the landlord committed to provide a written update at each stage. However, the resident did not receive an update following the survey. This demonstrated that the landlord had failed to follow through with a commitment made, which caused further distress and inconvenience to the resident. The landlord acknowledged failures to this at stage 2 and the total of £200 compensation included recognition of lack of communication. The landlord also acknowledged the resident’s concerns of increased electricity and provided electricity vouchers and Winter Warm pack. This steps were appropriate. However, the total compensation it offered for the above failures was in the lowest level of administration and did not fully acknowledge the impact and the length of the delays.
  12. In summary, the landlord failed to raise the inspection and the repair works within a reasonable timeframe and the resident lived in damp and mouldconditions for 13 months. In its responses it identified failings to delays and lack of communication. However, some works were further delayed after its stage 2 response. It additionally, repeatedly failed to consider temporary measures despite the resident’s healthconcerns and it did not fully acknowledge the impact on vulnerable resident/household. The compensation offered was not proportionate to the extent of the delays or the impact on the resident (related to accommodation of multiple appointments and follow ups ) and the prolonged distress and inconvenience. This amounts to maladministration.We have made an order for a total of £850compensation to reflect the delays, and the distress and inconvenience caused to the resident. This is inclusive of the landlord’s previous offer of £200. This has been calculated at £50 per month for 13 months from January 2023 to February 2024.

Complaint handling

  1. The landlord’s complaints policy states that the landlord operates a 2-stage process. At stage 1, it must respond within 10 working days and at stage 2 within 20 working days. If more time is needed at any stage, the landlord must inform the resident.
  2. The landlord failed to respond to the resident’s complaint within the timeframe set out in its complaint policy at stage 1. The resident made the initial complaint on 19 May 2023 and the stage 1 response was due in 10 working days, 5 June 2023. However, it was sent on 16 June 2023, in 19 working days. The landlord acknowledged the failure to respond to the initial complaint at stage 1 and offered £50 compensation. It explained that the failure to respond to the complaint occurred due to the resident raising the complaint the same day she chased the survey. While this explained the way the error happened, the landlord should have had a system in place and trained staff to recognise and acknowledge complaints despite further and different queries raised by the resident. This is a service failure, which the landlord acknowledged and offered a proportionate remedy. A finding of reasonable redress has therefore been made in the circumstances.
  3. However, it is unclear of whether this compensation was paid to the resident. In its stage 2 response the compensation offered at stage 1 for complaint handling was not confirmed. The above finding is based on the landlord reoffering and paying this £50 to the resident.
  4. While we have found reasonable redress, we should note that the wording in the stage 2 response was also ambiguous as to recognising any failures. The landlord stated “Whilst I was unable to identify a service failure through my review, I have found a number of actions where we have not offered the standard of service that you would have expected from us”. The landlord clearly referred to some failures and offered compensation, and at the same time its wording suggested it failed to take accountability. The Code states “Accountability and transparency are integral to a positive complaint handling culture.” and “Landlords must … provide clear reasons for any decisions, referencing the relevant policy, law, and good practice where appropriate.”

Determination

  1. In accordance with paragraph 52. of the Scheme, there was maladministration  in the landlord’s handling of reports of damp and mould.
  2. In accordance with paragraph 53.b. of the Scheme, the landlord has offered redress to the resident prior to investigation which, in the Ombudsman’s opinion, resolves the complaint about the handling of the complaint satisfactorily.

Orders and recommendations

Orders

  1. Within 4 weeks from the date of this report, the Ombudsman orders the landlord to:
    1. Provide a written apology to the resident for the failures identified in this report.
    2. Pay a total compensation of £850 to the resident. This amount is comprised of:
      1. £200 compensation (if not paid already) to the resident offered during its complaints process for the delays in repairs for the damp and mould.
      2. Additional £650 in recognition of the distress and inconvenience caused by the landlord’s handling of reports of damp and mould.
  2. Within 8 weeks of the date of this report, the Ombudsman orders the landlord to review the issues highlighted in this report. Topics for inclusion include the landlord’s: approach to damp and mould, consideration of temporary measures, completing inspections and disrepair works and record keeping, with emphasis on repairs logs and monitoring progress of works for and external contractors.
  3. The Ombudsman orders the landlord to contact the Service and provide evidence of compliance with the above orders within their respective timeframes.

Recommendations

  1. The Ombudsman recommends that the landlord contact the resident and discuss whether a new complaint for subsequent damp and mould concerns.
  2. The Ombudsman recommends the landlord to pay £50 compensation (if not paid already) in recognition of the time and trouble caused by the landlord’s complaint handling failure.

 

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