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Housing provider hit with severe maladministration finding over failure to deal with bedbug infestation
The Housing Ombudsman has ordered a housing association to pay £1,000 in compensation after it was hit with a severe maladministration judgement due to its failure to deal with a bedbug infestation and disrepair at a tenant’s home.
The watchdog found that Stafford and Rural Homes – which is now part of Housing Plus Group – failed to deal with several disrepair issues over a number of years and an infestation without issuing an apology or explanation.
The investigation revealed how the resident had repeatedly complained via telephone and email about issues, including a leaking roof and mould in the property
The ombudsman ruled that the delays “were unacceptable”, with the landlord failing at all stages of the complaints process.
When the tenant asked for her complaint to be escalated by phone, the association said she would need to specify the reasons and suggested that she use a library or fast-food restaurant to email as she had no data on her phone.
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The ombudsman also found maladministration in the landlord’s response to the resident’s report of repairs and infestation.
It also judged that the association took too long to carry out the repairs it was responsible for and to deal with the bedbug infestation.
The landlord also failed to respond to the issues in accordance with its own timescales for repairs. It did not keep the tenant updated, explain delays or manage expectations in any way.
Housing ombudsman Richard Blakeway said the failures showed the association did not take the complaints seriously.
He added: “This troubling case shows the impact of an inaccessible and unresponsive complaints procedure.
“The complaints process should be accessible, but the landlord did not facilitate this by declining to take the escalation reasons over the telephone in circumstances where the resident was unable to access the internet.”
Responding to the ruling, a Housing Plus Group spokesperson said: "This was a wholly unacceptable situation that was compounded by a poor response from the landlord and failure to communicate with the customer properly.
“We have apologised unreservedly to the resident and have dealt with all of the issues that gave rise to the complaint.
“Stafford and Rural Homes became part of the Housing Plus Group in October 2019 and since that point, working practices and policies have been reviewed, taking account of the lessons we have learned from this experience.”
Commenting on Housing Plus Group’s response, Mr Blakeway said: “Following our decision, I welcome the landlord’s response on its learning from this case and the changes being made to improve its service. I would encourage other landlords to consider the learning this case offers for their own services.”
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