Mr A, a leaseholder of a flat within the building owned by Tai Calon (‘the HA’), said that he had been reporting a leak around his property for 3 years. He said that the HA had sent out numerous plumbers and engineers, but the leak had not been resolved. Mr A said there was severe water damage in several rooms in his property, and he described water pouring downstairs in the communal area of the building.
The Ombudsman confirmed with Mr A that the leak had now been resolved. However, Mr A’s case and a previous complaint investigated by the Ombudsman case had identified administrative shortcomings around the reporting of disrepairs. The HA agreed to carry out the following actions to resolve Mr A’s complaint:
a) Apologise to Mr A for the time taken to resolve the repair issues.
b) Offer Mr A a financial redress payment of £250 in recognition of the difficulties Mr A had encountered while dealing with the HA about the matter, and lack of repair documentation which caused delays in repair work being carried out.
c) Arrange a visit by the HA’s Property Services Manager and a member of its Customer Service Team to discuss any further concerns Mr A may have.
d) The HA agreed to provide evidence of:
(i) its Digital Strategy, which includes a plan to integrate leaseholders into its housing management system, with the timescale of when this will be implemented
(ii) a review of its record keeping processes, alongside the Ombudsman’s Good Records Management Matters statutory guidance, as agreed on a previous Ombudsman case.