Poplar Housing And Regeneration Community Association Limited (202527953)

Background

1. The resident lives on the third floor of a block of flats on an estate surrounded by other blocks. The landlord runs walking patrols across its estates and installed CCTV after earlier reports of antisocial behaviour (ASB). The resident has raised concerns that these actions have not stopped the ASB and that the landlord refused their request for rehousing.

What the complaint is about

2. The resident has complained about:

a)     The landlord’s response to reports of ASB.

b)     The landlord’s handling of the associated complaint.

Our decision (determination)

3. We found:

a)     Maladministration in the landlord’s response to reports of ASB.

b)     No maladministration in the landlord’s complaint handling.

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

Summary of reasons

1. The landlord failed to manage the ASB reports in line with its policy. It did not respond to reports within required timescales and did not complete risk assessments or action plans.
2. The landlord responded within the timescales set out in the Complaint Handling Code (the Code) and showed good practice by involving the resident and engaging with them throughout the complaints process.

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.

Recommendations

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

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

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.

3. On 1 August 2024, the resident told the landlord that unknown individuals were accessing the communal areas of the building. They said people were taking and selling drugs, burning items, searching through bins, urinating in the lifts, and loitering outside. They asked the landlord to increase patrols on the estate.
4. The landlord contacted the resident the next day and asked for more information to support its investigation into the reports. This was appropriate and met the requirements of its policy, which requires the landlord to respond to reports of ASB within 1 working day.
5. The resident made 3 further reports of ASB during August and September 2024. The landlord did not respond to these reports until 23 October 2024. This response was not appropriate and did not meet the standards set out in its ASB policy. It did not respond within the required timescales or give the resident weekly updates. It also did not show that it created an action plan within one week of receiving the reports and failed to carry out a risk assessment, which should have guided its response.
6. The landlord did not provide evidence of the actions it took in response to the resident’s reports, which shows poor record keeping. However, when it contacted the resident on 23 October 2024, it said it had carried out patrols inside and outside the building and had not found any ASB. The resident replied and said the situation had greatly improved. In response, the landlord asked them to report any further instances to it, or the police. This action was appropriate and met the requirements of its ASB policy.
7. On 30 July 2025 the resident said that the previous issues had returned. They reported frequent drug use and smoking in the communal areas, loud music, reckless driving in the carpark and groups of people congregating in the communal areas, blocking access to and around the building. They said the CCTV hadn’t resolved the issue and asked the landlord to escalate the matter to the police. The resident said that the situation made the property unsuitable and asked to be rehoused to a ground floor property.
8. The landlord’s response to the reports was not appropriate. It took 11 working days to contact the resident to discuss the reports. This delay exceeded the 1 working day response time set out in its ASB policy. It did not complete a risk assessment or create an action plan to address the reports, as its policy requires.
9. The landlord also did not provide evidence that it spoke to neighbours, contacted the police, or carried out targeted patrols at peak times, despite saying it would in its complaint response. This was not appropriate. The landlord should have recorded all planned and completed actions in an action plan in line with it’s ASB policy.
10. When the resident raised concerns about the impact of the situation on their mental health, the landlord acted appropriately by trying to contact them to discuss their support needs. However, the landlord did not complete a risk assessment to consider whether the resident’s mental, or physical health increased the risk linked to the reported ASB. This was not appropriate and meant the landlord missed an opportunity to review whether its actions remained suitable.
11. In its complaint response, the landlord explained that it does not offer managed moves to resolve complaints or ASB cases. This approach followed its complaints and ASB policies which states that it will not offer a managed move as a resolution to a complaint, or a report of ASB. The landlord acted appropriately by signposting the resident to the local council for rehousing support.
12. The landlord asked the resident to download its noise app, but the resident did not submit any recordings. The landlord closed the ASB case in October 2025 because the resident had not responded to its messages. The resident told us that the ASB continued after this date, and is still ongoing, but they haven’t reported it to the landlord as they wanted to wait for the outcome of our investigation.
13. In consideration of the above we find maladministration. This is because the landlord has not provided evidence that it responded to the residents reports of ASB in line with its policies.
14. The landlord must pay the resident £250 compensation to recognise the likely frustration and distress this caused the resident.

15. The landlord’s complaints policy does not meet the requirements of the Housing Ombudsman’s complaint handling code. The policy says the landlord will respond within 10 working days at stage 1 and 20 working days at stage 2, from when it ‘knows the answer’ to the complaint.
16. The Code requires landlords to acknowledge a complaint or escalation within 5 working days. Landlords must then respond within 10 working days at stage 1 and 20 working days at stage 2, starting from the date of that acknowledgement. If the landlord needs more time, it must write to the resident and explain why. The Code allows one extension of up to 10 working days at stage 1 and up to 20 working days at stage 2.
17. Once the landlord reaches these maximum time limits, it must issue a response that sets out its position at that time. The landlord cannot delay its response until it knows the outcome or final answer.
18. Despite the wording of its policy, the landlord responded to the complaint within the timescales set out in the Code. It also showed good practice by inviting the resident to attend it’s panel meeting and make representations. Throughout the complaints process, the landlord engaged with the resident to understand the issues raised.

Learning

19. The landlord must review the wording of its complaints policy to ensure that it is compliant with the code.

Knowledge information management (record keeping)

20. The landlord must ensure that it keeps accurate records of all actions that it intends to take, and has taken, in response to reports of ASB.

Communication

21. The landlord should remind all staff that they must respond to reports of ASB within one working day and provide weekly updates, as its ASB policy requires.