Housing associations under fire for failing to address window repairs

Britain’s largest housing association has been slammed by the Housing Ombudsman for failing to fix a faulty window for four years.

Clarion Housing Association left a child’s bedroom window boarded up for four years which caused damp and mould in the property.

The Housing Ombudsman report is part of a series on severe maladministration of windows in social housing.

Room grew mould due to a lack of ventilation

According to the report, after a Clarion Housing Association representative visited the home to repair two windows, one of the windows was boarded up and couldn’t be opened.

The housing association decided no further action was required and did nothing for a further four years until the resident formally complained.

The resident believes that the boarding meant the room grew mould due to a lack of ventilation. This caused the resident’s asthma to flare up and affected his son’s mental health.

The Housing Ombudsman ordered Clarion to provide a written apology from the chief executive and pay £1,700 in compensation.

Communication was not good enough

Clarion Housing Association said: “We apologise sincerely to the resident and their family in this case. The issue took too long to resolve, and our communication was not good enough.

“Since then, we have made improvements that would now prevent this from happening. We now have better reporting capabilities that help us monitor and manage cases more effectively.

“We are also in the process of making changes to our knowledge and information management strategy, and this, along with how we handle complaints, is a key focus of our internal transformation programme – which will support us to provide residents with a consistently good service.”

Delay in fixing rotten windows

Notting Hill Genesis housing association was also criticised for its poor handling of damp and mould issues, including delays in fixing rotten windows.

According to the report, the housing association didn’t consider health and safety obligations or the needs of the resident and her son, despite knowing their vulnerabilities.

The Ombudsman ordered Notting Hill Genesis to pay £9,201 in compensation, apologise to the resident and complete any outstanding works.

In response, the landlord has published a new policy to proactively address damp and mould and has pledged hundreds of millions of pounds through its Better Together strategy to improve housing quality.

Repairing windows can be costly

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, says the social housing sector must be prepared for Awaab’s law and a new decent homes standard.

He said: “At the crux of this report are stretched resources. Repairing windows can be costly. This can lead to landlords deferring immediate repairs in favour of major works at a later date.

“But those future works can be volatile and uncertain, leaving residents living with faulty windows for several years. By focusing on the building rather than the individuals living within it, landlords risk overlooking their legal obligations.

“This approach is also normalising delays to key repairs and an increase in complaints about housing conditions. Ultimately, this requires a new and strengthened Decent Homes Standard, and it is welcome the government has committed to one.

“We have compiled learning from some key cases in this report and we will do more on this topic in the coming months.”

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