London & Quadrant Housing Trust — case 202423673

Decision Case ID 202423673 Decision type Investigation Landlord London & Quadrant Housing Trust Landlord type Housing Association Occupancy Assured Shorthold Tenancy Date 11 December 2025 Background The resident lives in a one-bedroom flat with her young child. She said she has asthma. In the months leading up to her complaint in September 2024 she reported damp in her property. The landlord found leaks which it repaired but they had caused further damage. The resident agreed to move out temporarily so the landlord could do the works.

She complained about the landlord’s handling of the repairs and the suitability of the temporary housing it offered. What the complaint is about The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of: Leaks, damp, mould and temporary housing. The complaint. Our decision (determination) We found: Severe maladministration in the landlord’s handling of leaks, damp, mould and temporary rehousing. Service failure in the landlord’s complaint handling. We have made orders for the landlord to put things right.

Summary of reasons The landlord’s handling leaks, damp, mould and temporary rehousing The landlord failed to clearly and timely respond to all the resident’s concerns about moving into suitable temporary housing. This was not in line with its policies and contributed to delays in starting the repairs. This caused significant distress to the resident. The landlord did not manage her expectations about how long the repairs would take or keep her updated of its progress. It fixed the leaks but did not do the remedial works within its policy timeframes.

The landlord’s complaint handling The landlord acknowledged its initial complaint response was delayed and not in line with its policy. It offered compensation. However, it did not address all the resident’s complaint points within its responses, which was not in line with its policy or our Complaint Handling Code. This meant the compensation it offered was not proportionate to its failures, in line with our remedies guidance. 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. 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: a senior manager provides the apology 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 08 January 2026 2 Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident £2,750 made up as follows: £1,500 to recognise the resident’s loss of the enjoyment of her property from 11 September 2024 to date £1,000 to recognise the resident’s significant distress and inconvenience caused by its handling of leaks, damp, mould and temporary rehousing £250 to recognise the resident’s distress and inconvenience caused by its complaint handling The landlord may deduct from the total figure any payments it has already paid as compensation.

No later than 08 January 2026 3 Starting the works The landlord must take all steps to ensure all the repairs to the resident’s property are started no later than the due date. If the landlord cannot start the works in this time, it must explain to us and the resident, 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 when it expects her property will be ready to move back in to No later than 22 January 2026 Recommendations Our recommendations are not binding, and a landlord may decide not to follow them. Our recommendations We recommend the landlord contacts the resident to confirm it has paid all reasonable expenses to her, in line with its policies. This includes the issues she raised in her complaint. Our investigation The complaint procedure Date What happened 20 to 22 March 2024 The resident reported a damp smell near the boiler and kitchen sink in her property, which the landlord inspected and did not find a leak.

3 May 2024 The resident reported a damp smell in a cupboard in her property. The landlord inspected her property and found a leak, which it repaired. 10 September 2024 The resident reported another damp smell coming from a cupboard in her hallway. The landlord found a leak coming from the flat above which had caused damage to the resident’s property. The resident agreed to move out of the property whilst the landlord did the works. 12 September 2024 The resident complained to the landlord.

She said she had experienced recurring leaks in her property for several years. She asked it to offer her suitable temporary housing whilst it did the repairs or to permanently rehouse her into a larger property. The resident also asked the landlord for compensation for the inconvenience. 13 September 2024 The landlord acknowledged the resident’s complaint, it said it would respond within 10 working days. It rehoused her into a hotel and agreed to offer her other housing options.

25 to 30 September 2024 The resident complained to the landlord about the suitability of its housing offer. She said she wanted the landlord to move her into a 2-bedroom property. She also asked the landlord to suspend the rent payments on her permanent property and to compensate her. 11 October 2024 The resident chased the landlord for a response to her complaint. She asked for an allowance due to staying with friends and family. 14 October 2024 The landlord responded to the resident’s complaint.

In summary, it said it: offered temporary and permanent rehousing which the resident declined due to being unsuitable, preferring to stay with friends and family (which its lettings team would pay her for) would not offer her a 2-bedroom property as this was outside of its policy, and gave advice on other rehousing options had delayed in starting repairs but its removal company would contact her to arrange to store her belongings so works could begin estimated it would complete the repairs in one month It apologised for the distress, inconvenience and the resident’s time and trouble and offered £480 compensation.

17 October 2024 The resident remained unhappy with the accommodation the landlord offered, and its compensation offer. She asked the landlord to escalate her complaint to stage 2, which the landlord acknowledged by phone. 13 November 2024 The landlord responded to the resident’s escalated complaint. It confirmed it repaired the leak, and its contractors had been ready to start remedial works since September 2024. It said it offered suitable alternative housing and was waiting for her to choose.

It agreed to pay £2,000 to cover the costs of staying with friends and family from 18 September 2024 to date. Referral to the Ombudsman The resident asked us to investigate her complaint. She wanted the landlord to offer more compensation for the distress and inconvenience she said she had been caused. 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 leaks, damp, mould and temporary rehousing Finding Severe maladministration What we have not considered The resident said she experienced recurring leaks for several years. We have not assessed the landlord’s handling of issues that happened over 12 months before the resident’s complaint in September 2024.

This is because we expect residents to raise complaints with their landlord and escalate to us within a reasonable timeframe. The resident also complained her belongings were damaged because of a previous leak. We have not considered this, as the resident has escalated this complaint to us separately. The resident raised concerns about discrimination and the impact the issues were having on her and her child’s health and wellbeing. It is not our role to consider whether the landlord’s actions were discriminatory.

We also cannot decide causation or liability for personal injury like a court can. Therefore, the courts are the most effective place to raise these issues. However, we can consider the overall impact of the situation on the resident. If she wants to pursue a claim she may wish to seek independent legal advice. What we have considered We have considered events from 20 March 2024, when the resident reported a damp smell in her property. The landlord inspected her property within its policy timeframe of 20 working days.

Its records say there was no leak, but it should change some pipework. There is no evidence it did. The resident chased the repair on 10 April 2024, but the records show this job was cancelled with no explanation. Landlords should keep thorough records so they can effectively manage their residents repair issues and provide a good service. In this case landlord’s records were limited and unclear in parts. The resident reported damp again on 3 May 2024. The landlord attended her property within its policy timeframe on 28 May 2024 and found a leak which it temporarily repaired.

It agreed to start permanent works on 3 June 2024, but there is no record it did. The resident reported damp and mould again within a different area in her property on 10 September 2024. The landlord responded within its policy timeframes. It provided temporary housing for the resident on 11 September 2024 so it could complete the remedial works. However, the resident complained the housing it offered was unsuitable. The landlord’s policy applicable at the time of the complaint says it will provide suitable temporary housing to residents who are displaced from their home due to repairs.

It says it will consider individual’s needs when determining suitability. It explains it may not be able to offer a similar property to a resident’s permanent home and temporary housing may be smaller. It assures residents it will consult with them and provide clear information and guidance during the move. The policy says residents are responsible for paying rent at their usual address and will need to pay for utility bills in their temporary accommodation. It says it will cover reasonable expenses to help with moving.

The landlord initially acted in line with its policy in September 2024 by offering several temporary housing options to the resident. It also provided reasonable solutions for storing her belongings. It acknowledged the resident’s concerns about the temporary housing it had already provided (where she said one was unsafe, and the other had inadequate bathing facilities for her baby). It said she could choose her own hotel as an alternative. It was reasonable when it acted outside of its policy by offering her permanent housing due to the inconvenience and gave her time to decide on its offer.

The resident reported another leak in her permanent property when collecting her belongings on 19 September 2024. The landlord responded promptly to this by inspecting the repair. She agreed to temporarily stay with friends and family for 4 weeks. The landlord offered her 2 properties that were within the same block as her current one to move into permanently. However, the resident was reluctant to accept these offers due to her concerns about historical repair issues within the block.

In her reply on 26 September 2024, she asked the landlord questions to help her decide. She asked if it would assist with removing her belongings and with childcare costs whilst moving. The landlord did not respond promptly enough to the resident’s further questions. She chased the landlord for a response via her local councillor and sent an email on 9 October 2024. In its complaint response on 14 October 2024 the landlord acknowledged it delayed works to her property due to miscommunications about storing her belongings.

It offered £400 compensation to recognise the impact the issues had on her and the distress and inconvenience this caused. It also agreed to pay £2,000 for staying with friends and family, which it clarified was not compensation. Where a landlord admits failings, our role is to consider whether the redress it offered was in line with our dispute resolution principles be fair, put things right and learn from outcomes. We considered the events following its complaint responses and whether the landlord ‘put things right’.

This includes whether its responses were in line with its policies. The landlord’s final response to the resident’s complaint on 13 November 2024 was partly in line with its policies. It explained what housing and storage options it offered and that it would not provide a larger property. It agreed to pay an additional £2,000 friends and family payment. It offered her a property which she could accept on a permanent or temporary basis. However, it failed to respond to all her concerns.

It did not provide a schedule of the works or fully manage her expectations about how long the repairs might take. It also failed to explain how it might support her during the move and therefore did not resolve her complaint. One of the resident’s main concerns was about having to pay rent on her permanent property, which she felt was unfair due to its condition. The landlord failed to address her issue of suspending rent payments in its final response. She chased the landlord for its opinion on this on several occasions, including 16 December 2024.

The landlord finally responded to this point on 30 January 2025. It said she was liable for rent on her permanent property. Whilst this answer was in line with its policy, its delayed response represents a further failing. We have considered the landlord’s handling of the issues which extended well beyond its final complaint response. This includes its delay in repairing a window in the temporary accommodation it offered. The resident reported this on viewing the property on 6 November 2024.

She asked the landlord to fix it before she moved in and to clean the property. The landlord did not fix the window until 10 December 2024 or provide a reason for the delay. The landlord acknowledged its responses to the resident’s concerns had been slow. It apologised and agreed to consider offering more compensation, but there is no evidence it did. Some of the landlord’s actions following its final response were in line with our dispute resolution principles. It accommodated the resident’s preferred dates for moving into the temporary housing and considered her additional requests.

It paid for a removals service and childcare costs. It extended its friends and family payment and paid her an additional £5,250 to cover the period from its final complaint response on 13 November 2024 up 17 April 2025, when she moved into the temporary accommodation. However, its communications were often delayed, and it did not fully answer all her questions, which was not in line with its policy and prolonged this complex situation. The landlord poorly managed the resident’s expectations about how long the works might take and did not keep her fully updated of its progress.

She moved into temporary housing in April 2025, and the landlord had not completed the repairs to her permanent property by July 2025. When investigating this case, it told us it finished most of the works, but a repair is outstanding. The landlord has not acted in line with its policy. This says it will provide regular progress updates on what is happening to a resident’s home and information on when its expects they will be able to move back in. The landlord’s handling of the issues had a significant impact on the resident.

She said she felt unsupported, and the rehousing affected her wellbeing. The landlord empathised with her and apologised for any distress the issues may have caused. It showed some good practice, such as extending its friends and family payments. It exercised its discretion by paying expenses which exceeded its policy framework. However, we found severe maladministration because of the prolonged delays which extended beyond its final complaint response and its lack of communication throughout.

We have ordered the landlord to pay £1,500 compensation to acknowledge the resident’s loss of the enjoyment of her home from September 2024 to December 2025. We also ordered the landlord to pay £1,000 for the significant distress and inconvenience this caused. These amounts include its previous compensation offer of £400. When deciding on an appropriate the level of compensation we considered that the issues are unresolved, and she remains in temporary housing. We assessed this alongside our remedies guidance where there have been significant failures that have had a severe impact on the resident.

Complaint The landlord’s complaint handling Finding Service failure The landlord’s policy says it will acknowledge stage 1 and 2 complaints within 5 working days. It will respond to stage 1 complaints within 10 working days and stage 2 complaints within 20 working days, in line with our Code. The landlord acknowledged the resident’s complaint on time on 13 September 2024 and agreed to respond within its policy timeframe. However, its response on 14 October 2024 was delayed by 11 working days.

The resident chased the landlord for a response on 9 October 2024. The landlord replied to her the same day and apologised for the delay. The resident raised more issues 2 days later, such as asking for payments due to staying with friends and family. The landlord responded to most of the resident’s additional concerns in its first response. However, it failed to respond to all elements of her complaint including the issue she raised about it not paying all her hotel expenses.

This was not in line with its policy. The landlord acknowledged the resident’s escalated complaint by phone within its policy timeframe on 17 October 2024. However, its written acknowledgment did not appear to reach the resident as its records suggest it was sent internally instead. The resident chased the landlord on 24 October 2024. It sent its final response on 13 November 2024, which was within its policy timeframe. The landlord attempted to put things right. It apologised for its delayed complaint handling, acknowledged her time and trouble, and offered £160.

However, it did not recognise all its failures and remedy this. This represents a service failure. We therefore found its compensation offer was not proportionate, in line with our remedies guidance. We ordered the landlord to pay £250, which includes the amount it has already offered. Learning The landlord demonstrated some positive responses to the resident’s concerns during the temporary move. However, it would benefit from improving its temporary accommodation processes to offer more tailored support to residents during what can be a stressful time.

Knowledge information management (record keeping) The landlord’s repair records were sometimes limited, and it was unclear if it completed works. The landlord would benefit from improving its record keeping enabling it to provide a good service and better inform its complaints team when things go wrong. Communication The landlord’s communication with the resident was inconsistent. The landlord should improve its communications with residents, to ensure they are clearer and well-timed.

Especially when temporarily rehousing residents. This might avoid the necessity for residents to repeatedly chase the landlord and mitigate delays to repairs.