Mrs C submitted a complaint on behalf of Mr D about Tai Calon Community Housing (“Tai Calon”). Mrs C said that Mr D’s front external door was not fit for purpose and had a gap in the frame, despite Tai Calon attempting a repair. She said that as a result of the gap, Mr D had to put blankets over the door to try to deal with the draught and water ingress. Finally, she said that Mr D was an elderly gentleman, who was in poor health.
The Ombudsman found that Tai Calon’s Repairs Policy included an undertaking to tailor its repairs service to those tenants who were vulnerable and who need additional support. She considered that Mr D was a vulnerable tenant and that Tai Calon should be taking appropriate steps to resolve the issue at the earliest opportunity. The Ombudsman did not consider it acceptable to leave Mr D for a further 6 months before a permanent solution was implemented, as Tai Talon had advised would be the timeframe for a new door to be fitted.
The Ombudsman sought and gained Tai Calon’s agreement to, within 5 working days, undertake a temporary repair to stop the draught and water ingress. Within 10 working days, to provide a financial redress payment of £250 to Mr D for the additional energy costs encountered. Within 8 weeks, to provide a replacement external front door for Mr D’s property to permanently address the draught and water ingress problem.