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MTVH ordered to pay £1,800 compensation over silverfish infestation
Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) has apologised and been ordered to pay £1,800 compensation over failings in its response to a silverfish infestation at a resident’s flat.
The case has resulted in the 57,000-home group becoming the latest social landlord to be found culpable of severe maladministration by the Housing Ombudsman.
The details of the case, published by the ombudsman this week, revealed that the tenant, ‘Mrs T’, reported an infestation of silverfish at the two-bedroom flat she lived at with her two children.
MTVH arranged an insecticide spray under the bath, but a few months later said it would not treat the infestation, the ombudsman said. The landlord asked a pest control contractor to check for leaks but there was no evidence it was done at the time.
Mrs T reported the infestation continuing and commissioned a survey which found silverfish in several rooms and identified three leaks, but there was conflicting evidence over when these were issues were resolved, the ombudsman said.
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“Our investigation found that the landlord’s failure to investigate the issue fully meant it missed an opportunity to try to eliminate the damp conditions in which silverfish thrive,” the ombudsman said.
“Dampness caused by leaks were still affecting the property a year after they were reported to the landlord, although it is recognised that repairs were affected by lockdown.”
Mrs T said she had moved out because her two daughters were scared. The ombudsman said MTVH should have offered to decant them but it failed to do so.
MTVH offered compensation of £450, but the ombudsman said it “did not reflect the significant impact on the family by its failure to carry out adequate repairs”.
However, the ombudsman found no maladministration for MTVH’s handling of the resident’s request to be rehoused.
Richard Blakeway, the housing ombudsman, said: “This infestation had a profound impact on the resident and her family. The landlord’s delay in dealing with the repairs and putting right the ongoing dampness, together with its failure to use its discretion to consider a decant, amounted to severe maladministration.”
In response, MTVH said: “We apologise for the distress and inconvenience this situation has caused an MTVH resident. We accept that there were delays in identifying the infestation. We have now put in place a new policy concerning silverfish after seeking expert external advice.”
Other landlords to have severe maladministrations finding against them this year include Clarion, Birmingham City Council, Shepherds Bush Housing Group and Habinteg.
It comes as scrutiny of conditions in social housing has intensified since the Grenfell Tower tragedy and an investigation by the broadcaster ITV.
The government is aiming to tackle the problem through a new Social Housing Regulation Bill. which includes giving the Regulator of Social Housing more powers.
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