| Publishing organisation: | Housing Ombudsman Service |
| Topic: | Repairs |
| Determination: | No maladministration |
| Tenure: | Ex-occupier |
| Country of relevance: | England |
Mr G was a former tenant of the association. He complained about the level of compensation offered in response to the difficulties and delay in carrying out repairs to his former property.
In March 2007 Mr G submitted a formal complaint about outstanding repairs and the association’s lack of communication with him about them. Some works related to a visit by one of the landlord’s surveyors on 30 January 2007 whilst others dated back to 2004. The association did not respond until May 2007 when the Head of Property Maintenance confirmed that the works he had identified during his visit two weeks earlier would be completed within the next 3 weeks.
Between October 2007 and the panel hearing in August 2008 the association made a number of compensation offers, gradually increasing from £100 to £633.68 on 16 June 2008. In June 2008 the Director of Housing Services and Head of Asset Management also met Mr G and his support worker in his new home. Two months later the panel confirmed the offer comprising:
- £183.68 for replacement bedroom carpet
- £200 in decoration vouchers for Mr G’s new home
- £250 compensation for the inconvenience and delay in getting the works completed - the maximum permitted by its compensation policy.
The panel also added its apologies ‘for the poor service that you received whilst you were our tenant…the service that you received was totally unacceptable.'
Mr G had undoubtedly experienced distress and inconvenience as a result of failures to complete works in a timely fashion or to communicate appropriately about the works agreed in January 2007 and possibly also in March 2004.
Determination
We found that the redress offered by the association represented a fair response to the difficulties and delays in completing the works. It apologised for the distress and inconvenience associated with its ‘unacceptable’ service provision and offered Mr G the maximum payable under its compensation policy. In addition it arranged to complete outstanding works at Mr G’s previous address. It also offered decoration vouchers ‘to help (Mr G) make a fresh start in his new home.’
We recommended that the association offered Mr G a further opportunity to accept the compensation offer.