The Housing Ombudsman has published two severe maladministration findings for Onward Homes, due to failings in handling a resident’s complaint about damp and mould caused by rotten window frames and her request for compensation due to damaged belongings.
The Ombudsman’s investigation found:
- severe maladministration by Onward for its handling of the resident’s request for replacement windows
- severe maladministration for Onward’s handling of the resident’s request for compensation and
- maladministration for Onward’s complaint handling.
The Ombudsman ordered Onward to:
- apologise to the resident for the way it handled things
- pay total compensation of £2,175
- obtain an inspection of the property by a suitably qualified surveyor to determine if it was habitable and, if the surveyor concludes the property is uninhabitable, consider decanting the resident or offering a rent reduction until the windows are replaced and
- review its complaint handling practices and its handling of damp and mould cases, in line with the Ombudsman’s Spotlight on Damp and Mould.