11:25 AM, 27th October 2023, About A year ago 21
Text Size
The Housing Ombudsman has been slammed by a legal expert after it handed out a fine of £66,441 for poor housing – an average of £2,000 per case – when a landlord in the private rented sector would have been fined more than £2 MILLION for the same offences.
The Ombudsman highlighted a range of issues at Islington Council including a ‘disjointed’ approach to complaints and a ‘lack of clear ownership’.
An investigation has now led to the council being fined £66,441 for severe maladministration in handling complaints about disrepair and anti-social behaviour (ASB) in its properties.
However, Phil Turtle, the compliance director with Landlord Licensing & Defence, said that despite Islington Council having a 25% severe maladministration rate, it has been ‘let off with a slight slap on the wrist by the Ombudsman’.
He said: “Once again a rogue council is let off with fines that are a minuscule proportion of those the same council hands out to private landlords.
“The Ombudsman fines them just £2,000 per property when councils across the country would fine private landlords upwards of £10,000 for similar offences.
“What is more, any landlord with 186 properties in disrepair would be declared ‘not fit and proper’ and hounded out of business with a Banning Order.”
He added that a PRS landlord would have been fined more than £2 million by a council for the same offences.
The Ombudsman’s report covered 30 determinations involving 89 findings and, in each case, it upheld at least one aspect of the resident’s complaint and in almost half of cases, found severe maladministration on at least one of the issues raised by the resident.
The landlord has a severe maladministration rate of 24.7% – that is four times the national average rate of 6.7%.
The Ombudsman also made 186 orders or recommendations to put things right.
Of the £66,441 fine, more than half (£33,792) was for complaints about property condition.
The Housing Ombudsman, Richard Blakeway, said: “Many of the underlying themes we have identified are present in multiple individual cases, each contributing to the resident’s poor experience.
“The way in which the same issues recur indicates failure to learn from complaints.
“We have also identified a lack of managerial oversight to ensure that officers are appropriately capable and empowered to follow the policies, procedures and guidance that the landlord does have in place.”
The Ombudsman identified three key themes and set out a series of recommendations:
The report included some examples of individual cases that illustrated the severity of the issues:
Islington council has issued a ‘learning statement’, saying it fully accepted the Ombudsman’s report and recommendations.
It adds: “We want everyone in Islington to have a safe, decent, and genuinely affordable place to call home.
“Our tenants and leaseholders deserve a high-quality service, and we deeply regret that we haven’t always delivered this in the past.
“We’ve been working to put things right and believe this report further clarifies the actions and resources needed, building on the external critical appraisal we’ve sought from partners over the last two years.”
Route Meister
Become a Member
If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!
Sign Up11:58 AM, 27th October 2023, About A year ago
Islington council has issued a ‘learning statement'
You couldn't make it up!
Taxpayers money pays the fine but I've not read anywhere about Housing Dept sackings at Islington, has anybody?
Crouchender
Become a Member
If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!
Sign Up12:47 PM, 27th October 2023, About A year ago
Islington Council have just launched an expanded selective license scheme (Consultation said it would cost £500 but the one they launched is £800!) to rake in more money via fines from LLs. Yet they cant even get their house in order. If you read some the case studies the housing ombudsman found, a PRS LL would have been slapped with massive fines and RROs (when the Labour government allows them next year!)
Blodwyn
Become a Member
If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!
Sign Up13:12 PM, 27th October 2023, About A year ago
The unhappy ratepayers of this ghastly council foot this bill. Who is/are the person(s) of the Ombudsman, do they live in Islington and who do they vote for?
Voice of a landlord
Become a Member
If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!
Sign Up13:34 PM, 27th October 2023, About A year ago
Who regulates the regulators? Very similar to Ofwat not wanting to fine water companies. However landlords are regulated to the hilt and fined out of existence. Since when did landlords become the ultimate pariah.
You can't make it up!
Blodwyn
Become a Member
If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!
Sign Up14:53 PM, 27th October 2023, About A year ago
Quis custodiet custodies? Nobody has answered it, who does watch the watchers? Possible answer is the biggest bully on the playground.
Martin Roberts
Become a Member
If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!
Sign Up15:16 PM, 27th October 2023, About A year ago
One rule for them…
Old Mrs Landlord
Become a Member
If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!
Sign Up16:23 PM, 27th October 2023, About A year ago
Reply to the comment left by Martin Roberts at 27/10/2023 - 15:16
Yes Martin, and my don't they exploit it! Of course their government funding has been cut so can you blame them for making a few thousand when they're handed the opportunity to legally do so? Of course, as ever, it's the tenants who suffer, not just the landlords.
Mick Roberts
Become a Member
If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!
Sign Up16:46 PM, 27th October 2023, About A year ago
Very good point Phil
Michael Booth
Become a Member
If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!
Sign Up16:59 PM, 27th October 2023, About A year ago
When a counci gets fined it's the council tax payer who effectively being fined, what needs to happen is the top needs sacking for mal administration afterall they are paid has much has the pm the buck has to stop with them simple isn't it.
Dennis Forrest
Become a Member
If you login or become a member you can view this members profile, comments, posts and send them messages!
Sign Up17:52 PM, 27th October 2023, About A year ago
It's the same old story - 'Lessons to be learned'