Sanctuary Housing Association (202413206)

Decision
Case ID	202413206
Decision type	Investigation
Landlord	Sanctuary Housing Association
Landlord type	Housing Association
Occupancy	Assured Tenancy
Date	7 November 2025

Background

The resident lives in a one-bedroom flat. He has physical health conditions, including fibromyalgia. He reported cracks had appeared in the ceilings, repairs were needed to the windows, and there were problems with the air vent in the bedroom.

What the complaint is about

The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of:

a. Ceiling cracks.

b. Problems with the bedroom air vent.

c. Window repairs

We have also investigated the landlord’s complaint handling.

Our decision (determination)

We found the landlord responsible for:

a. Reasonable redress in its handling of reports of ceiling cracks.

b. Maladministration in its handling of reports of problems with the bedroom air vent.

c. Maladministration in the landlord’s handling of reports of window repairs.

d. Reasonable redress in the landlord’s complaint handling.

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

Summary of reasons

Handling of ceiling cracks

The landlord’s offer of compensation was satisfactory to put things right for the detriment caused to the resident.

Handling of problems with the bedroom air vent

The landlord did not repair the bedroom air vent within its policy timescales, and there were continued unreasonable delays. It did not provide an appropriate remedy to recognise the impact caused to the resident.

Handling of window repairs

The landlord did not repair the windows within its policy timescales. Although it has acknowledged this failure, it has not provided an appropriate remedy to recognise the impact caused to the resident.

Complaint handling

The landlord’s offer of compensation was satisfactory to put things right for the detriment caused to the resident.

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 specific to the failures identified in this decision, meaningful and empathetic. It has due regard to our apologies guidance.	No later than 05 December 2025
2	Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident £325 made up as follows: £150 to recognise the distress and inconvenience caused by the landlord’s handling of problems with the bedroom air vent. £175 to recognise the distress and inconvenience caused by the landlord’s handling of window repairs. This must be paid directly to the resident by the due date. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of payment by the due date.	No later than 05 December 2025
3	Inspection order The landlord must contact the resident to arrange an inspection. It must take all reasonable steps to ensure the inspection is completed by the due date. The inspection must be completed by someone suitably qualified to complete an inspection of the type needed. 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 bedroom air vent and windows in the property and produces a written report with photographs The survey report must set out: Whether the property is fit for human habitation and whether there are any hazards Whether the landlord is responsible to repair or resolve the issue together with reasons where it is not responsible A full scope of works to achieve a lasting and effective repair to the issue (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 05 December 2025

Recommendations

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

Our recommendations
The landlord should carry out a structural survey to check for subsidence.
The landlord should make sure that it responds to complaints in line with the Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

Date	What happened
29 February 2024	The landlord responded to a previous complaint with a stage 2 final response. It said that it had inspected cracks in the hallway and bathroom ceilings on 24 August 2023. It acknowledged that it failed to arrange any repairs at the time and apologised for this. It agreed to replaster and paint both ceilings and scheduled an appointment for 28 March 2024. A visit took place on 15 February 2024 to inspect the kitchen and lounge windows. Parts were ordered, and the resident would be contacted to arrange an appointment.
2 April 2024	The resident made a new complaint. He said the scheduled works for 28 March 2024, including repairs to the air vent, had been cancelled without explanation. And he had rearranged several hospital appointments to accommodate the work. He also said that the windows remained unrepaired, and he could not open them, which he considered a health and safety risk. He wanted further compensation for the delays.
19 April 2024	The landlord agreed to escalate the complaint directly to Stage 2. It also confirmed that plastering work on the bathroom and hallway ceilings would be completed on 14 June 2024, with a follow-up appointment to paint the ceilings scheduled for 21 June 2024.
15 May 2024	The landlord issued its Stage 2 final response. It apologised for the missed appointment on 28 March 2024 and confirmed it had rescheduled the work for June 2024. It said the window repairs were carried out on 23 April 2024 and apologised for the delay. Regarding the air vent, the landlord acknowledged it had not raised a repair order, even though it had agreed to inspect and possibly replace it. It agreed to monitor the repair. The landlord also apologised for delays in logging and responding to the complaint. It offered £360 compensation, made up of: £150 for time, trouble, and inconvenience, £100 for poor complaint handling, £100 for this being a repeat complaint about the same issues, and £10 for the missed appointment.
24 June 2024	The landlord issued another formal response about the ceiling cracks. It said that an operative and a housing officer inspected the property on 14 June 2024. They found the ceiling cracks to be minor and said replastering was not necessary. However, the landlord offered to raise a repair order to fill any cracks that needed attention. To acknowledge the inconvenience and miscommunication, it offered an additional £250 in compensation. It also offered £50 to help cover the cost of ceiling paint.
Referral to the Ombudsman	In his referral to us, the resident said the landlord, along with its surveyor, had promised 3 times to plaster and repaint his ceilings due to cracks. This included the ceilings in his kitchen, bedroom, and living room. He said that although the air vent and windows had been repaired, they remained draughty, which he felt was having a negative effect on his health. As a resolution, he wanted the landlord to plaster and decorate all ceilings and provide further compensation.

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 ceiling cracks
Finding	Reasonable redress

The landlord accepts that there were failings in how it handled the matter. When this happens, we assess if the complaint was resolved fairly and if the landlord offered suitable redress. We also look at whether the landlord followed our Dispute Resolution Principles: be fair, put things right, and learn from outcomes.
In February 2024, the landlord confirmed that it would re-plaster and paint the hallway and bathroom ceilings to fix the cracks. Its repair records supported this commitment. The landlord scheduled the work for 28 March 2024. However, the appointment was missed. This caused frustration and inconvenience for the resident, who had to contact the landlord to ask for an update.
The landlord rescheduled the appointments for June 2024 and confirmed dates for both plastering and painting the ceilings. In its May 2024 final response, the landlord explained that its surveyor had approved full replastering and decoration of the bathroom and hallway ceilings. Its records from June 2024 also showed that the kitchen ceiling would be included in the work. However, the landlord did not complete any of the work.
The landlord attended as planned on 14 June 2024. However, the day before, it told the resident that this was the operative’s first visit and that a painter/decorator had attended previously. It said a plasterer needed to visit. This information was incorrect. A surveyor had already visited in August 2023 and agreed to the replastering and redecoration, which the landlord confirmed in its formal responses. This caused frustration for the resident, who reasonably expected the landlord to follow through on its commitment to complete the work.
After the June 2024 visit, the landlord told the resident it would not replaster the ceilings because the cracks were only superficial. Instead, it said it would only fill and paint them. While the landlord had the right to change its approach after reassessing the issue, cancelling the original work caused further frustration. The resident had already moved furniture in preparation, expecting the work to go ahead.
The landlord acted fairly by acknowledging the miscommunication and the inconvenience this situation had caused. It also paid £300 in additional compensation. This offer was in line with our remedies guidance, which recommends awards from £100 when failings have adversely affected a resident. This was a reasonable way to put things right.
The resident told us that filling the cracks had not worked and raised concerns about possible subsidence, as the ceilings continued to crack and said that other residents had reported the same. Therefore, we recommend that the landlord carry out a structural survey to investigate the issue further.

Complaint	The landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of problems with bedroom air vent
Finding	Maladministration

There were considerable delays in repairing the air vent. On 26 February 2024, the landlord noted that it needed to assess the vent after the resident reported it was stuck open, making his bedroom extremely cold. Despite this, the repair was not completed until 16 October 2024, around 8 months later. This delay was contrary to the landlord’s repair policy timescales.
The delay was initially caused by the landlord’s failure to raise a repair order. In its final response, the landlord acknowledged this and confirmed that it raised the order on 14 May 2024. However, it is unclear why it did not raise the repair order earlier, especially after the resident escalated the issue in April 2024. As a result, the resident lived with a cold and draughty bedroom for several months, which was particularly distressing due to his health conditions.
Although the landlord raised a repair order in May 2024, it did not schedule an appointment to fix the air vent until 1 August 2024, over 2 months later. This delay again was contrary to its repair policy timescales and showed a lack of urgency. According to the landlord’s records, the appointment was cancelled due to sickness. However, it is unclear why the repair was not completed until 16 October 2024, another 2 months after the unsuccessful appointment.
The landlord acted fairly by acknowledging the delay in its final response. It is also reasonable to say that part of the £150 compensation paid was for time, trouble, and inconvenience related to this issue. However, there were further delays after the final response, showing a lack of learning despite the already long wait. The landlord also did not appear to monitor the repair after raising the order, even though it promised to do so.
The continued delays caused further distress and inconvenience for the resident. As a result, we find maladministration and have ordered the landlord to pay £150 in compensation. The resident also told us that he felt that the air vent may have been fitted incorrectly, as his bedroom remains draughty. Therefore, we have ordered the landlord to inspect the vent to ensure it is fit for purpose.

Complaint	The landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of window repairs
Finding	Maladministration

After the resident reported problems with the kitchen and lounge windows, the landlord’s contractor visited on 15 February 2024 and provided a quote for the repairs. However, the work was not completed until 23 April 2024, more than 2 months later. This delay was contrary to the landlord’s repair policy timescales, and it only acted after the resident raised a complaint.
The landlord showed a lack of urgency, even though its records noted that the kitchen window mechanism had failed and the lounge window hinge had snapped at the bottom. Based on this description, these repairs should have been treated as a priority. The resident stated in his complaint that he could not open the windows and considered this a health and safety risk. The landlord did not dispute this concern.
The landlord apologised for the delay in arranging the repair appointment. While it’s reasonable to say that part of the compensation paid related to this issue, the amount did not fully address the impact on the resident who was left with potentially unsafe windows, which caused him discomfort and worry.
Considering the resident’s circumstances and the issues raised, we find maladministration and have ordered the landlord to pay an additional £175 in compensation. The resident also reported that the windows are warping in the middle, allowing a draught, which he said is affecting his health. Therefore, we have ordered the landlord to inspect the windows and ensure they are fit for purpose.

Complaint	The landlord’s complaint handling
Finding	Reasonable redress

The landlord failed to acknowledge the resident’s complaint within 5 working days, contrary to its policy timescales. This delay led to a late complaint response. The resident subsequently asked the landlord to escalate the complaint directly to stage 2, without receiving a stage 1 response.
The landlord showed flexibility and a customer-focused approach by agreeing to the resident’s request. However, this went against our Complaint Handling Code, which requires landlords to follow a 2-stage complaint process. In this case, the resident was not adversely affected by the approach, but the landlord should ensure its complaint procedure aligns with the Code.
In its final response, the landlord acknowledged its complaint handling failures and the inconvenience caused, paying £100 compensation. It also paid another £100 compensation, recognising that this was the second complaint about some of the same issues raised previously. This response was fair and showed good insight.
Overall, the landlord’s compensation offers for the inconvenience caused by its complaint handling were fair and in line with our remedies guidance.

Learning

The landlord should ensure that any promised repairs are completed promptly and reliably. In this case, it did not complete the promised ceiling crack work despite multiple confirmations.
The landlord should assess and address the underlying causes, not just the symptoms. There was no evidence that the landlord assessed the root cause of the cracks.
The landlord should implement better scheduling systems to avoid delays and ensure timely maintenance. There was poor scheduling and a lack of urgency in fixing the bedroom air vent.
The landlord should treat repairs that may affect health, safety, or comfort with appropriate urgency. The landlord failed to treat the window repairs as a priority despite reported health and safety risks.

Knowledge information management (record keeping)

The landlord’s record-keeping was satisfactory.

Communication

The landlord should communicate clearly, consistently, and proactively to reduce tenant frustration and build trust. Missed appointments and poor communication caused frustration and inconvenience.