The Riverside Group Limited (202346841)

Background

1. After the resident’s tenancy ended, the landlord told her she owed £5,285.06 in rechargeable repairs. She complained because she did not agree with the charges.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s response to the resident’s:
   1. Concerns about rechargeable repairs.
   2. Complaint.

Our decision (determination)

3. We have found:
   1. Maladministration in the landlord’s response to concerns about rechargeable repairs.
   2. No maladministration in the landlord’s complaint handling.

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

Summary of reasons

Response to concerns about rechargeable repairs

4. The landlord did not fully investigate the resident’s concerns about the rewire charge until 10 months after its stage 2 response. Its communication was poor and it delayed in taking steps to put things right for her.

Complaint handling

5. The landlord complied with its complaint policy and our Complaint Handling Code (the Code).

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.

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.

What we have not investigated

6. In this case the resident’s concerns about the level of charges are better dealt with by the courts. We do not investigate complaints where it would be quicker, fairer, more reasonable, or more effective to seek a remedy through the court, tribunal, or other procedure. The resident can seek independent legal advice if she wishes to pursue the matter. This investigation will focus on the landlord’s handling of her concerns.

What we have investigated

7. After the resident moved out, the landlord inspected the property and told her she owed £5,285.06 for rechargeable repairs. She complained and said it had charged her for a rewire it had not done. Its stage 1 response said it would not amend the charges. It said £3,500 of its total bill was for a rewire because the wiring had been condemned.
8. The landlord’s rechargeable repairs policy says its void surveyor will identify, photograph and record rechargeable work. It completed this in line with its policy. However, its email informing the resident of the charges failed to provide any form of breakdown or explanation. It would have been helpful for the landlord to provide this at the time it notified her of the charges. Instead, it took a complaint from her to receive the information. This is a shortcoming and a communication failure by the landlord. While it has since told us that it provided the information in a separate bill, it has failed to evidence this. This is a record keeping failure.
9. The resident escalated the complaint. She disputed the charges for the skip and the rewire and said the landlord had not completed a rewire. She asked for a breakdown of the staircase charge. In its stage 2 response, the landlord said the skip charge included the cage van used to remove rubbish. It said its staircase charge was a set amount, and the rewire cost was standard and was essential work. It did not provide a breakdown for the staircase charge as requested. Clearer cost information could have helped the resident understand that charge. It also did not address her concern that it charged for a rewire which she said it had not done. Its failures likely caused her distress after receiving the significant recharge.
10. In November 2024, the landlord told us it was refunding the rewire charge after it found an administration error. It said its surveyor assessed the wiring as unsafe, but its contractor later said it did not need to complete a rewire. It reduced the bill by £3,500, to £1,785.06. This investigation came 10 months after stage 2 and only after our involvement. The lack of a thorough investigation into this matter during the complaint process led to avoidable and unnecessary distress on the resident.
11. In summary, we find maladministration. The landlord did not fully investigate the resident’s concerns at stage 2 and did not provide a clear explanation of the charges. In line with our compensation guidance. Further it took 10 months to complete a full investigation into the rewire costs. We have ordered it to apologise and pay £300 for the distress and inconvenience caused. It is unclear whether the landlord has told the resident the revised charge. We have ordered it to confirm in writing the deductions it made, its final charge, and whether it processed this.

12. The landlord’s complaint policy at the time of the complaint complied with the definition of a complaint in the Code (April 2024). The timescales in the landlord’s complaint procedure complied with the Code.
13. The landlord acknowledged the resident’s complaint and issued its stage 1 response within its complaint policy timescales. She escalated the complaint, and it spoke with her and issued an acknowledgement and stage 2 response within its policy timescales. Although the resident was concerned the same person responded to both stages, having reviewed the evidence, the responses were provided by different members of staff. This is in line with its policy. As such, we find no maladministration. The landlord’s complaint handling was in line with its policy.

Learning

14. The landlord should ensure it fully investigates all issues raised during its internal complaints process. This will assure residents that complaints have been fully understood and investigated thoroughly.

Knowledge and information management (record keeping)

15. The landlord should ensure it provides us with all relevant information when we first request it.

Communication

16. The landlord should review its communication with residents when notifying of recharges. It should provide residents with clear cost information when issuing bills. It should consider training or guidance for those staff involved in the process.