Posted 15.03.22
Housing Ombudsman Service: Further reading
The Ombudsman has made two severe maladministration findings for L&Q's failure to minimise the disruption of a temporary move for a resident with physical and mental health vulnerabilities.
It then failed to manage the complaint effectively, resulting in a confused and protracted process for the resident who had to reiterate his complaint multiple times over a two-year period and seek assistance from third parties.
The resident lived in a flat owned by L&Q and under the tenancy agreement, care and support was provided on behalf of the landlord by a managing agent which provides tenancy support to people with complex needs.
The resident required an emergency move and so was placed in a hotel as temporary accommodation outside of his home town.
The resident was initially told the move would be for one week. Over the next three months he was moved to four different hotels and his doctor said he should be moved back to his home location, either to his property or alternative accommodation, with urgency.
Following a move to a different hotel and a fall down the stairs, the managing agent contacted the landlord to enquire how much longer the decant would continue in light of the resident's need for ground floor accommodation near his doctor and support network.
Shortly after the resident moved back into his flat but the building no longer had a lift which he needed. He made an application to his local authority for a transfer and was rehoused.
*****
Posted 01.03.22
Housing Ombudsman Service: Further reading
The Housing Ombudsman has made two severe maladministration findings for the London Borough of Lambeth's significant failings in dealing with a long-standing complaint about damp and mould caused by leaks.
The resident had been dealing with water coming into her property and causing damp and mould since 2015. ,p>The Ombudsman had previously investigated a complaint from the resident about repairing leaks at the property and ordered the landlord to carry out a range of works to resolve the issue.
The landlord confirmed that works had either been completed or were planned.
In 2020 the resident complained to the landlord and asked for proof of the works ordered having been completed, and she contacted the Ombudsman.
The Ombudsman found severe maladministration for the landlord's failings in dealing with the leaks and associated damp and mould at the property.
It failed to demonstrate that it had taken reasonable and appropriate steps to investigate and resolve the issues. It had caused ongoing detriment to the resident for several years.
There was also a severe maladministration finding for the landlord's handling of the complaint with long delays and failure to address the complaint in any meaningful way.
In addition, the Ombudsman made a finding of maladministration for the landlord's poor record keeping.
*****
Headlines in this section last month:
*****
Return to this month's headlines
KEEP UP-TO-DATE WITH ISSUES AFFECTING THE SOCIAL AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING SECTORS
NEWS AND VIEWS REPORTED IN BRIEF SUMMARY FORMAT, WITH LINKS FOR FURTHER READING
RECOGNISABLE CATEGORY SECTIONS FOR EASY ACCESS
AN ESSENTIAL FREE RESOURCE FOR ANYONE WITH A BUSY SCHEDULE
EDITED BY MIKE SKILTON
CLICK ON THE SECTIONS BELOW FOR ALL CURRENT POSTS - OR THOSE FOR SELECTED PAST MONTHS
Links
Improving residents' lives and landlords' services through housing complaints.