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Peabody Trust (202014120)

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REPORT

COMPLAINT 202014120

Peabody Trust

17 May 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 resident complained about the level of compensation the landlord offered in relation to their complaint about its handling of a leak.

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 submitted a complaint to the landlord about its response to a leak which affected their home.
  2. The landlord provided its final complaint response on 11 August 2020. It acknowledged that there had been shortcomings in its delivery of service to the resident, and offered £1770 compensation comprising of following:
    1. £170 for cleaning.
    2. £160 for a dehumidifier.
    3. £90 for redecoration works.
    4. £600 contribution towards the cost of the carpet replacement.
    5. £650 for the resident’s time, trouble and inconvenience.
    6. £100 for its complaints handling.

The landlord agreed that in addition to the above compensation, it would consider compensation for missed appointments and the travel costs the resident incurred while they had to stay away from the property, once the resident provided it with further details.

  1. From the information this Service has been provided, it is understood that the resident and landlord were in communication about the complaint after the final complaint response was issued. On 22 December 2020, the landlord confirmed that it revised its compensation offer and increased this to £2223.89. It confirmed the increase consisted of the following additional payments:
    1. £78.89 for transport costs.
    2. £50 contribution towards laundry costs.
    3. £325 for missed appointments.
  2. The resident responded to the landlord and confirmed that they wanted to pursue the case further as they did not consider the resolution it offered satisfactory. They referred their complaint to this Service on 15 February 2021.
  3. We contacted the resident to discuss their complaint on 19 March 2021 and they explained that to resolve their complaint, they wanted the landlord to cover the full cost of the carpet installation, which was £1200. In addition, they said that they wanted the landlord to provide clear timescales of when the communal heating system would be repaired.
  4. We contacted the landlord and confirmed the outcomes the resident sought as a resolution to their complaint. It responded on 16 April 2021 and said that it would attend and repair the heating system within 35 calendar days. It also confirmed that it had already agreed to pay half of the costs for the carpet and requested a copy of the invoice from the resident, so that it could consider the additional compensation requested. We subsequently asked the resident to provide this.
  5. Following receipt of the invoice from the resident, we sent a copy to the landlord and it agreed to pay the resident an additional £600 for the cost of the carpet replacement.
  6. 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’.”
  7. As the landlord has confirmed a timescale for the completion of the repair to the heating system and agreed to pay the resident the additional compensation they sought as a resolution to thier complaint, I am satisfied that following the intervention of this Service, it has now taken actions to remedy the matters raised which resolve the complaint satisfactorily.

Recommendation

  1. That the landlord pay the resident the additional £600 compensation within three weeks of the date of the report. If the landlord has not already paid the resident the £2223.89 compensation it offered prior to this Service’s involvement, it should also pay this within three weeks of the report.
  2. That the landlord write to the resident within three weeks of the date of this report, to confirm whether the heating system has been repaired.