GreenSquareAccord Limited (202013559)

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REPORT

COMPLAINT 202013559

Accord Housing Association Limited

31 March 2021


Our approach

Under our early resolution process, the Ombudsman works with the resident and landlord to explore the issues in dispute, identify the matters that remain outstanding and assist in reaching an agreed settlement.

The complaint

  1. The level of compensation offered to the resident in relation to the landlord’s handling of a heating repair and a leak at their property.

Determination (decision)

  1. In accordance with paragraph 55 (c) of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme, the landlord has made an offer of redress to the complainant which, in the Ombudsman’s opinion, resolves the complaint satisfactorily.

How the complaint was resolved

  1. The resident is an assured tenant.
  2. On 29 August 2020, the resident reported an electricity issue, which was attended as an emergency repair. The electrician noted that the wall heater was causing the electrics to trip and disconnected the heaters.
  3. On 04 October 2020, the resident reported another issue related to a leak coming from their ceiling. The landlord’s electrician, who attended the property confirmed that the electrics were safe, and the water came through a light fitting. Whilst the landlord attended the property several times, it was unable to identify the leak source.
  4. The resident raised a formal complaint towards the end of October 2020 concerning the following issues:

a)The resident had no heating for eight weeks since the first electrician in August 2020 disconnected the heaters and told the resident not to use them as they would affect the electrics; however when another electrician attended on 20 October 2020 he switched the heaters back on. The resident was further worried about their safety due to the conflicting information.

b) The panel heater in the resident’s living room did not work correctly.

c) The landlord’s handling of their reports of a leak. The resident explained that four plumbers had attended the property, but the leak had not been resolved and had been ongoing since the first report.

  1. The landlord responded at stage one of its internal process on 04 November 2020 explaining that the second electrical inspection had suggested that the issue with the heating circuit causing the MCB (miniature circuit breaker) to trip might have cleared by itself. However, it arranged for the system to be inspected on 05 November 2020 and included in this inspection for the heater to be checked. The landlord further explained that whilst the contractors attended the property several times to investigate the leak, it was unable to identify the source. The landlord expressed its commitment to continue investigating the leak and to carry out remedial works once the source was identified.
  2. The resident escalated their complaint on 15 November 2020. They sought an explanation about the length of time taken to identify the source of the leak and requested compensation for the inconvenience and stress this has caused them.
  3. The landlord responded on 01 December 2020 at stage two of its complaint procedure. It explained that it had not been straightforward to identify the leak. The landlord stated that the leak had been coming from a neighbouring property’s window/patio and that it had been unable to identify this until it removed the ceiling in the property. It admitted that the ceiling could have been removed at an earlier stage. In recognition of this the landlord arranged for the carpets to be cleaned at the property and £50.00 compensation was offered to the resident. The landlord also explained that the damaged ceiling had been re-boarded and plastered, a light fitting replaced, and the bedroom and shower room had been decorated, and repairs to window seals had been completed. The landlord had also aqua boarded the shower room, decorated and carried out repairs to other windows throughout the neighbouring property.
  4. The resident brought the complaint to the Housing Ombudsman on 07 February 2021 and explained that they remained dissatisfied with the level of compensation offered by the landlord in relation to its handling of the two repair issues. The resident agreed to participate in the mediation process and as a resolution they were seeking  compensation of £450.00.
  5. This Service forwarded the resident’s request to the landlord on 09 March 2021.The landlord responded on 23 March 2021 directly to the resident and sent a copy to this service. It explained that it had incurred costs in carrying out the remedial works as set out in paragraph 9 and provided figures for those works. It had made a counteroffer of £100.00 compensation in total for the inconvenience and distressed caused.
  6. This Service contacted the resident for its position and on 29 March 2021, the resident agreed to accept the compensation offered by the landlord as resolution to their complaint.
  7.  Paragraph 55 (c) of the Housing Ombudsman Scheme states that:
    1. “At any time, the Ombudsman may determine the investigation of a complaint immediately if satisfied that the member has made an offer of redress following the Ombudsman’s intervention which, in the Ombudsman’s opinion, resolves the complaint satisfactorily. This will result in a finding of ‘resolved with intervention’.”
  8. I am therefore satisfied, following the intervention of this Service, that the landlord has now taken actions to remedy the matters raised which resolve the complaint satisfactorily.

Recommendations

  1. The landlord to arrange for the payment of £100.00 compensation to be made to the resident within the next four weeks, and provide confirmation of payment to this Service.
  2. The Ombudsman would like to thank the parties for participating in our mediation process. This case is now closed.