Onward Homes Limited · Case 202327998 · 16 March 2026
Onward Homes Limited — case 202327998
The complaint about the landlord's handling of leaks from the boiler and bathroom was not investigated because the matter was subject to legal proceedings, with the resident accepting the landlord's part 36 settlement offer. The Ombudsman determined the complaint was outside its jurisdiction.
Findings by complaint head
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Handling of reports of leaks
Outside jurisdictionThe complaint about the landlord's handling of leaks from the boiler and bathroom was not investigated because legal proceedings were issued at court and the resident accepted the landlord's part 36 settlement offer. The matters at court relate directly to the complaint, so the Ombudsman has no power to investigate.
The full determination
Decision Case ID 202327998 Decision type Jurisdiction Landlord Onward Homes Limited Landlord type Housing Association Occupancy Assured Tenancy Date 16 March 2026 Background The resident raised a complaint with the landlord regarding its handling of a leak to the boiler and a leak from the bathroom. The landlord’s final response addressed both aspects of the complaint and was issued on 8 January 2024. The resident then raised a legal disrepair claim in March 2024 regarding the leak from the boiler and bathroom.
As part of the legal disrepair claim, the landlord made a formal settlement offer under part 36 of the Civil Procedure Rules on 25 October 2024. The resident accepted the formal settlement offer. What the complaint is about The complaint is about the landlord’s handling of the resident’s reports of leaks. Our decision (determination) We have not investigated the resident’s complaint because it is outside our jurisdiction. Reasons We cannot investigate issues which are or have been also subject to legal proceedings or where matters at court are connected so closely to the complaint, they cannot be separated.
In this case, we can see legal proceedings were issued at court and the resident accepted the landlord’s part 36 settlement offer in January 2025. The matters at court relate to the resident’s complaint of the landlord’s handling of leaks coming from the boiler and in the bathroom. This means we have no power to investigate the complaint.
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