The Housing Ombudsman has published two severe maladministration findings for Lambeth Council, after it left a resident and her family with a leaking roof and resulting damp and mould and was slow to respond to a safeguarding enquiry from the children’s school.  The Ombudsman also found severe maladministration for the landlord’s record keeping.

Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said: “It is intolerable a mother had to spend six years getting her landlord to respond to serious issues which were causing considerable anxiety for her family.  The landlord’s response was contrary to its legal obligations and its failure to engage with the damp and mould issue, despite the health and safety severity, was inappropriate.  It should not take intervention from the Ombudsman to carry out fundamental repairs. I am also concerned the landlord was slow to respond to the school’s safeguarding enquiry who were worried about the conditions at the home.  This investigation includes one of the first severe findings for poor information management, with the landlord unable to locate basic documents like the tenancy agreement”.