Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (202535492)

Background

1. In September 2025, the resident reported blocked bathroom waste and drainage issues that resulted in a leak. She disputed the landlord’s position that the blockage was caused solely by a shampoo bottle cap, stating instead that it was caused by a contractor’s tool breaking and becoming lodged in the pipework.

What the complaint is about

2. The complaint is about the landlord’s response to the resident’s concerns regarding damage caused by a leak.

Our decision (determination)

3. There was service failure in the landlord’s response to the resident’s concerns regarding damage caused by a leak.

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

Reasons

4. The tenancy agreement states that residents are responsible for repairing any damage to internal decorations, including damage caused by issues such as water leaks. The landlord’s Code of Conduct applies to all its employees and contractors. It requires them to act with accountability and take responsibility for their decisions, actions and conduct. The repair policy sets repair timescales by category. It says the landlord will complete emergency repairs within 24 hours, urgent repairs within 5 working days, and routine repairs within 25 working days. It also confirms that internal decoration is the resident’s responsibility.
5. The landlord responded to the resident’s reports of a leak and resulting damage by raising multiple repair jobs and arranging several contractor attendances between September and October 2025. These included investigations into the bathroom drainage, plumbing repairs, and follow‑on decorative works. Although the number of visits was high, the works were completed within the landlord’s published repair timescales and reflected the need for different trade specialists. On this basis, the landlord’s handling of the repairs themselves was reasonable and in line with its repair policy.
6. In relation to internal decoration, the tenancy agreement and repair policy are clear that responsibility for decorative finishes rests with the resident, even where damage is caused by a leak. The landlord nonetheless completed limited remedial works, including mould treatment, sealing water stains, painting the ceiling, and patch repairs to wallpaper. These actions were consistent with policy and proportionate, and the landlord was not obliged to remove or fully replace wallpaper. Therefore, the landlord’s position on decoration was in line with its policy and the tenancy conditions.
7. However, there were shortcomings in the landlord’s handling of the resident’s concerns about contractor error and accountability. The resident disputed the landlord’s conclusion that a shampoo bottle cap was the sole cause of the blockage and provided photographic evidence suggesting that part of a plumbing tool may have been involved. The landlord relied on contractor records and photographs to reject any suggestion of contractor fault but did not clearly address the contradictory evidence provided by the resident, or explain why it was discounted.
8. This lack of engagement with the relevant evidence provided by the resident fell short of the standards set out in the landlord’s Code of Conduct, which requires accountability and transparent decision‑making. While there was no clear evidence that information was deliberately falsified, the landlord’s failure to adequately investigate or explain discrepancies in the evidence undermines the robustness of its findings. As a result, the resident’s concerns about accountability were not fully or fairly addressed.
9. Overall, the landlord complied with its repair obligations and acted in line with its policies regarding decoration. However, it did not provide a sufficiently thorough, transparent, or balanced response to the resident’s concerns. Although steps were taken to progress repairs, aspects of the service such as its response to contractor actions could have been managed more effectively. The landlord did not fully acknowledge these shortcomings or offer redress that reflected the impact on the resident. Accordingly, compensation has been awarded in line with our compensation policy.

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.