Places for People Group Limited (202451559)

Background

1. The resident complained that the landlord had cancelled a mould wash appointment at his property and this had caused him distress and inconvenience.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of:
   1. A mould wash appointment.
   2. The associated complaint.

Our decision (determination)

3. There was reasonable redress which satisfactorily resolved the complaint about the landlord’s handling of:
   1. A mould wash appointment.
   2. The associated complaint.

Reasons

The landlord’s handling of a mould wash appointment

4. The landlord’s repairs policy states that it will attend to non-urgent repairs within 28 days. The landlord booked a mould wash appointment for 14 January 2025 following a report from the resident on 30 December 2024. This was within its repairs policy timescale.
5. On 14 January 2025 the landlord cancelled the mould wash appointment at 3:45pm due to its contractor being delayed at a previous job. It rearranged the appointment for 21 January 2025. Despite the delay, the work was completed in line with the landlord’s repairs policy timescale.
6. In its stage 1 complaint response, the landlord acknowledged the distress the cancelled appointment had caused the resident. It provided a reasonable explanation for the cancelled appointment and apologised for the fact that he had waited in all day and moved furniture in preparation for the appointment. This was positive because the landlord took accountability for the failing and demonstrated empathy for the resident’s circumstances.
7. The landlord awarded the resident £100 in recognition of the delayed appointment. This amount aligns with the landlord’s compensation policy and our compensation guidance (published on our website) which sets out our approach to compensation. Our guidance states that awards of up to £100 are appropriate where there was a minor failure of short duration.
8. As we have not identified further failings, we consider the amount awarded by the landlord to be proportionate.

Complaint handling

9. The landlord operates a 2-stage complaints procedure. In line with our statutory Complaint Handling Code (‘the Code’), it must acknowledge complaints within 5 working days and issue its stage 1 and stage 2 responses within 10 and 20 working days respectively. The landlord did not issue its stage 1 complaint response until over 2 months after the resident’s complaint. This delay was a failing which caused the resident time and trouble.
10. The landlord apologised for the delay and awarded £50 in recognition of the distress and inconvenience caused to the resident. This amount aligns with our compensation guidance, as referenced above. It is for this reason that we consider this to be reasonable redress.

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.

Recommendations

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