Sovereign Network Group (202428087)

Decision
Case ID	202428087
Decision type	Investigation
Landlord	Sovereign Network Group
Landlord type	Housing Association
Occupancy	Assured Tenancy
Date	30 January 2026

Background

1. The resident lives in a 3-bedroom detached cottage. The tenancy began on 21 October 2019. She since reported issues with the guttering and drainage causing flooding in the garden. She also reported damp and mould issues.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of the resident’s concerns about:
   1. Guttering, drainpipes and French drains.
   2. Damp and mould.
   3. The associated complaint.

Our decision (determination)

3. There was maladministration in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s concerns about:
   1. Guttering, drainpipes and French drains.
   2. Damp and mould.
   3. The associated complaint.

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

Summary of reasons

Guttering, drainpipes and French drains.

4. The landlord significantly delayed completing repairs to the gutters and drainpipes by almost 11 months. It failed to install French drains as recommended by a surveyor. It has also failed to provide sufficient updates about repair work to the resident.

Damp and mould.

5. The landlord delayed treating the damp and mould by almost 2 months following the resident’s initial report. It then took no further action to treat the damp and mould following further reports.

The associated complaint.

6. The landlord’s complaint handling was not compliant with our complaint handling code (the Code) or its own policy at both stages of the complaint process. It failed to register an initial complaint. It delayed responding to a second complaint and then failed to escalate it. It then delayed acknowledging and responding to a third complaint.

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 27 February 2026
2	Compensation order   The landlord must pay the resident £1,834.07 made up as follows: £600 for the distress and inconvenience to the resident for its failings in how it handled concerns about guttering, drainpipes and French drains. £400 for the distress and inconvenience to the resident for its failings in how it handled reports of damp and mould. £534.07 for the costs the resident incurred trying to remedy the damp and mould issues. £300 for the time and trouble caused to the resident by its complaint handling failures. 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 paid.	No later than 27 February 2026
3	Starting the works   The landlord must take all steps to ensure the repair works for all drainage including the French drains installation 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 by the due date 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 by the due date. 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 27 February 2026
4	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 an externally appointed independent surveyor with expertise to complete the type of inspection required. 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 damp and mould of 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. The most likely cause of the damp and mould. 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 resolution 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 27 February 2026

 

Our investigation

The complaint procedure

Date	What happened
Between 6 February and 11 September 2023	The resident reported issues with the guttering and drainage at the property to her landlord. She also reported damp and mould with possible rising damp.
21 September 2023	The resident raised a complaint. She said the guttering was broken with water running down the brickwork of the property. She said the water from the gutters flooded the garden. She also said there was damp and mould in the property. She asked when the landlord would resolve the issues.
12 January 2024	The resident re-raised the same complaint. She said the landlord had completed several inspections and surveys. However, it had not completed any work and the issues with the gutters, drains, flooding and damp and mould continued.
27 March 2024	The landlord issued a stage 1 complaint response. It apologised it had not raised any work following the surveys and inspections. It said it had now asked its contractors to install a French drain and repair the gutters.
2 April 2024	The resident asked to escalate her complaint. She said the landlord had only mentioned drainage and gutters and not addressed all issues. She also said she had been waiting over 9 months for work to start.
10 April 2025	The resident re-raised the same complaint again. She said she had been reporting issues for over 2 years. She said it did not escalate her complaint as previously requested. She said the issues with the gutters, drains, flooding and damp and mould persisted. She said the landlord had not installed a French drain or repaired the gutters as previously promised.
22 April 2025	The landlord acknowledged the complaint. It said it would respond within 10 working days.
5 June 2025	The landlord issued its stage 1 complaint response. It said it had not completed work for the drainage and gutters but had completed some damp and mould repairs. It said it could not confirm a date to install a gully to the rainwater downpipe, as contractors would arrange that. It apologised for failing to escalate the previous complaint. It acknowledged delays completing works, poor communication and shortfalls in complaint handling. It offered £75 compensation.
5 June 2025	The resident asked to escalate her complaint. She asked when it would install the French drain. She rejected the £75 compensation and said she had spent more money on damp treatment, paint and dehumidifiers. She said the damp and mould had impacted her recovery from cancer treatment.
11 June 2025	The landlord acknowledged the escalation request. It asked the resident to provide receipts for any costs she had incurred.
1 July 2025	The landlord issued its stage 2 complaint response. It said a survey in July 2023 confirmed a French drain was required, but contractors had since confirmed only a rainwater downpipe was required. It offered compensation of £809.07 (£534.07 to cover costs the resident had provided receipts for, £75 as offered at stage 1 and a further £200 to acknowledge the impact).
Referral to the Ombudsman	The brought the same ongoing issues to us. The garden kept flooding due to a rainwater downpipe not flowing into a drain. A French drain and gulley were still required. Some gutters still needed replacing. Damp and mould issues persisted. She wanted the landlord to complete all outstanding repair work and provide compensation.
Events that have occurred since	The landlord received a quote to install a French drain. However, the contractor said it had concerns about where the water would go. It said it wanted to inspect the property again and dig test holes before committing to the work.

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	Guttering, drainpipes and French drains.
Finding	Maladministration

7. The resident initially reported issues with her gutters on 6 February 2023. Under the tenancy agreement the landlord states it will keep in good repair and maintain in proper working order the structure and exterior of the property. This includes drains and gutters.
8. According to the landlord’s repairs policy, it will aim to complete non-emergency repairs within 38 calendar days. The landlord attended and repaired the gutters on 23 March 2023. This is 45 calendar days later and a failure.
9. The resident contacted the landlord again on 28 July 2023. She said the guttering was hanging off the building and water was falling down the brickwork causing issues. Section 11 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 places a legal duty on landlords to make full, effective and lasting repairs once it is given notice. The landlord did not complete lasting and effective repairs on 23 March 2023.
10. The landlord attended on 8 August 2023 to complete an inspection. This was appropriate. It reported all guttering needed upgrading. It said the drainpipe only runs into a suspected soakaway and a drainage survey was needed. The landlord delayed raising a drain survey until 2 November 2023. This delay was a failure.
11. The resident chased up the repair works on 8 occasions between 5 September and 7 November 2023. The landlord completed the drainage survey on 20 November 2023. This is 104 calendar days from the inspection of 8 August 2023 recommending a survey. The time taken to complete the drainage survey was not reasonable.
12. Following the drainage survey, the surveyor recommended the installation of a French drain around the building. The resident chased the required repair works on 7 occasions between 30 December 2023 and 17 April 2024. The landlord completed the renewal of the gutters and drainpipes on 17 June 2024. This was a delay of almost 11 months to repair the guttering and drainpipes from the initial report of 28 July 2023 and was a failure.
13. The resident continued to chase the outstanding French drain installation on a further 7 occasions between 2 August 2024 and 10 April 2025. The landlord provided no timescales for the installation of the French drains. This is not appropriate.
14. Following the resident’s complaint of 10 April 2025, the landlord did not mention the French drain in its stage 1 complaint response. This is a failure. It was only after the resident’s escalation request of 5 June 2025, that it asked its contractor for a quote for a French drain. The delay from a surveyor recommending a French drain on 20 November 2023 and the landlord requesting a quote on 5 June 2025 is a further failure.
15. In its stage 2 complaint response of 1 July 2025, the landlord offered £200 compensation in addition to the £75 offered at stage 1. However, it did not specify the proportion of this allocated for its failures repairing the gutters, drainpipes and installing a French drain. This is inappropriate.
16. The contractor did not provide the quote until 21 October 2025. The resident tells us the landlord has still not installed the French drain, which is not appropriate.
17. In summary, the landlord delayed completing gutter repairs by 7 calendar days between 6 February and 23 March 2023. It did not complete lasting and effective repairs. It unnecessarily delayed raising and completing a drainage survey. It took almost 11 months to complete repairs to the gutters and drainpipes. It has not installed French drains despite repeated requests. There was poor communication between the landlord and its contractors. There was also poor communication by not providing any updates about repair works to the resident.
18. As a result of its failure to repair the gutters and drainpipes and install French drains over a prolonged period, we have found maladministration. We order the landlord to pay the resident an additional £600 compensation. This is to recognise the time, trouble, distress and inconvenience caused by its failure to appropriately handle the resident’s reports of guttering and drainage issues. This is within the range of awards set out in our remedies guidance for cases such as this where there was a failure by the landlord which adversely affected the resident.

Complaint	Damp and mould.
Finding	Maladministration

19. The resident reported damp and mould on skirting boards to the landlord on 11 September 2023. According to its damp and mould policy, the landlord will assess the issue within 10 working days. The landlord attended and treated the damp and mould on 12 September 2023, which was in line with its policy. It found a large hole behind the skirting board and raised a follow-on job to repair that.
20. The landlord attended again on 13 September 2023 to inspect the damp and mould issues with the skirting boards. This was appropriate and was in line with its policy. It repaired the hole and reported the skirting boards needed to be replaced. It listed some possible causes for the damp and mould including rising damp. It reported a technical surveyor was needed.
21. The resident chased the landlord for damp and mould repairs on 21 and 28 September 2023, and 4, 27 and 29 October 2023. On 29 October 2023 the landlord raised a job to inspect and treat any mould and identify the cause. The landlord attended on 7 November 2023 and treated the mould on skirting boards in 2 rooms. This was almost 2 months after the inspection of 13 September 2023 and is inappropriate.
22. On 7 November 2023 the landlord raised a job to replace the skirting boards. It delayed the appointment date until 1 December 2023. This is because the resident was concerned the skirting boards might get further damaged if replaced before other repair work. This was therefore a reasonable action to take. The landlord attended on 1 December 2023 and replaced the skirting boards.
23. The resident continued to report ongoing damp and mould problems on 12 January 2024, 18 November 2024, and 10 April 2025. She reported green and black mould on skirting boards and walls, wallpaper falling off, skirting boards coming off the walls and carpets having to be taken up. The repairs to the damp and mould were reliant on the landlord completing the other outstanding repairs first. However, there is no evidence of the landlord taking any action to resolve the damp and mould issues other than completing a further inspection on 21 May 2025. The delays taking any further action on the damp and mould is a failure.
24. In its stage 2 complaint response of 1 July 2025, the landlord offered to reimburse £534.07 to the resident. This was the amount she provided receipts for that she had spent on trying to remedy the damp and mould issues. This was fair and reasonable. However, it also offered £200 compensation in addition to the £75 offered at stage 1, but it did not specify the proportion of this allocated for its failures handling reports of damp and mould.
25. In summary, the landlord delayed treating the damp and mould by almost 2 months following the resident’s initial report. It then took no further action to treat the damp and mould following further reports of 12 January 2024 onwards.
26. We therefore order the landlord to pay the resident £400 compensation. This is to recognise the time, trouble, distress and inconvenience caused by its failure to appropriately handle the resident’s reports of damp and mould. This is within the range of awards set out in our remedies guidance for cases such as this where there was a failure by the landlord which adversely affected the resident.

Complaint	The associated complaint.
Finding	Maladministration

27. The resident first raised a complaint on 21 September 2023. Under the Code, landlords should acknowledge a complaint within 5 working days. It should then issue a full response within a further 10 working days. The landlord did not acknowledge or respond to the complaint of September 2023. This is a failure.
28. The resident chased the landlord for a response on 28 September 2023, 4, 27 and 29 October 2023 and 30 December 2023. The landlord did not raise a complaint on its system despite the resident’s repeated contact, which is inappropriate.
29. When the resident re-raised the complaint on 12 January 2024, the landlord did not acknowledge it. This is a failure. She chased for a response on 23 January, 14 February and 13 March 2024. The landlord issued a stage 1 complaint response on 27 March 2024. This was 53 working days after the resident raised her complaint. This is not compliant with the Code or its own complaint policy.
30. In its complaint response of 27 March 2024, the landlord did not address the damp and mould issues. The Code states that landlords are expected to respond to all aspects of the complaint as defined by the resident. This omission was inappropriate and is a failure of the dispute resolution principles to be fair, learn and put things right. The landlord also did not acknowledge its complaint handling delays and offered no compensation. This is a further failure.
31. When the resident asked to escalate her complaint on 2 April 2024, the landlord should have acknowledged the request within 5 working days. It should have then provided a full response within a further 20 working days. The landlord did not acknowledge or respond to the resident’s escalation request. This is a failure.
32. The resident chased the landlord for a response on 2 August, 22 October, 7 and 18 November 2024, 12 February and 14 March 2025. The landlord did not escalate the complaint on its system despite the resident’s repeated contact, which is inappropriate.
33. When the resident re-raised the complaint on 10 April 2025, the landlord acknowledged it on 22 April 2025. This was 6 working days later and not compliant with the Code or the landlord’s own complaint policy.
34. The landlord then issued its stage 1 complaint response on 5 June 2025. This was 30 working days later and significantly outside the prescribed 10 working day timescale in the Code and the landlord’s own complaint policy. It said it would raise repair work, but it did not provide any timescales which is inappropriate. It apologised for its delays completing work and dealing with the complaint and offered £75 compensation. This is not sufficient compensation to acknowledge the significant delays and failures in its complaint handling.
35. When the resident asked to escalate her complaint on 5 June 2025, the landlord acknowledged the request on 11 June 2025. This was 4 working days later and is compliant with the Code and the landlord’s own complaint policy.
36. The landlord issued its stage 2 complaint response on 1 July 2025. This was 14 working days later and is compliant with the Code and the landlord’s own complaint policy. It provided no resolution for the damp and mould issues. It also did not provide any timescales for completing any outstanding repair work. This is inappropriate. Although it offered £200 compensation in addition to the £75 offered at stage 1, it did not specify the proportion of this allocated for its complaint handling delays.
37. In summary, the landlord’s complaint handling was not compliant with the Code or its own policy at both stages of the complaint process. It failed to acknowledge or respond to the resident’s initial complaint of 21 September 2023. It did not acknowledge her complaint of 12 January 2024. It then delayed issuing a stage 1 complaint response by 43 working days. It failed to address aspects of the complaint in its response. It also failed to acknowledge its complaint handling failures and offered no redress. The landlord then failed to escalate the complaint to stage 2. It delayed acknowledging the resident’s re-raised complaint of 10 April 2025. It then delayed issuing a stage 1 complaint response by 20 working days. It then provided no timescales to complete the required works and offered insufficient compensation.
38. We have therefore found maladministration in the landlord’s complaint handling. We have ordered it to pay the resident £300 in compensation.

Learning

39. The landlord’s communication with its contractors was poor, which negatively affected its ability to carry out repairs. It also demonstrated a lack of oversight of its contractors, which may have contributed to the failings identified. It should consider reviewing its contractor communication processes to ensure it is effectively monitoring outstanding responses.
40. The landlord significantly delayed dealing with the resident’s complaint. It should ensure staff are familiar with the requirements of the Code, particularly the importance of acknowledging complaints and issuing responses within the prescribed timescales.
41. It is good practice for landlords to be explicit in their compensation awards. It should highlight the specific amount of compensation it has awarded to each element of the complaint. The landlord should consider this learning in its future complaint responses.

Knowledge information management (record keeping)

42. The landlord has not provided evidence of all inspection reports or completed works. Some of its repair records are unclear and do not detail the nature or outcome of the works completed. At times, this has affected our ability to assess its actions.

Communication

43. The landlord did not contact the resident to provide updates on when it would carry out repairs. The resident had to chase for updates each time. This lack of communication contributed to the distress and inconvenience caused to the resident. There were also several instances where the landlord failed to respond to the resident’s contact. The landlord should explore ways to maintain consistent contact with residents while repairs are ongoing. It should also look for opportunities to learn from this complaint to improve its customer service.