CROYDON IN CRISIS: Croydon Council is among 20 landlords handed severe ‘maladministration sanctions’ yesterday by the Housing Ombudsman for failing to deal with severe damp and mould in tenants’ homes.
By STEVEN DOWNES
Maladministration: Croydon Council is one of 20 landlords criticised in the latest Housing Ombudsman report
Croydon Council has been ordered to pay a tenant £5,000 in compensation after it left them for more than a year living with unhealthy mould and with leaks and damp in their home, without sending contractors to conduct an inspection. The council had suggested that the tenant make an insurance claim for compensation.
Croydon is among 20 landlords handed maladministration sanctions yesterday by the Housing Ombudsman, who revealed that dealing with cases involving damp and mould now accounts for about half of his office’s caseload.
The latest report from England’s social housing watchdog also included decisions against Clarion, the housing association where “Lord” Gavin Barwell is an executive director, as well as Kingston upon Thames Council, Lewisham and Southwark councils, plus housing associations L&Q, Metropolitan Thames Valley and Moat Homes.
Richard Blakeway, the Housing Ombudsman, said landlords “are still struggling with timescales” and inspections within damp and mould complaints, despite often having policies that set out clear actions and resolution times.
The report also showed how some residents lost the use of bedrooms or belongings, such as sofas, as mould spread. They also reported ceilings near collapse and health impacts to them or their children, including asthma and eczema.
The Ombudsman also used his report to show where the redress being offered by landlords for significant and prolonged failings was repeatedly inadequate.
One landlord, Barking and Dagenham council, offered just £150 compensation to a family who lived with “extensive mould” for five years, making their bedrooms uninhabitable.
This situation resulted in “unusable bedrooms, damage to belongings and severe distress”, according to the Ombudsman. The watchdog ordered the landlord to pay £4,000 in compensation, apologise to the resident and review their complaints-handling and repair reporting processes.
Ombudsman: Richard Blakeway has had reason to chastise Croydon Council’s housing again
In the Croydon maladministration case, the Ombudsman’s reports states: “The resident experienced significant issues with their landlord regarding persistent leaks, damp and mould in their property.
“Despite numerous reports from the resident about leaks and resulting damp and mould and requests for an inspection, the landlord did not conduct a damp and mould inspection until nearly 12 months after the first reports.
“Throughout, the landlord failed to conduct timely inspections and repairs.
“This lack of care and response led to worsening conditions and considerable distress for the resident and their family, as they struggled with the impact on their living conditions, including damage to personal belongings and the inability of the resident’s daughter to use her bedroom.
“The landlord’s inadequate record-keeping and communication further exacerbated the situation, leading to delays and a lack of resolution.
“The landlord did not offer compensation at Stage 1, but said the resident should make an insurance claim. It offered £100 compensation at Stage 2.
“The Ombudsman ordered the landlord to apologise and pay over £5,000 compensation.”
Croydon Council says it has set up a specialist team to look at leaks, damp and mould. It is also procuring specialist contractors and overhauling its policies and training.
In publishing his report, Blakeway said: “This is a topic that now dominates half of our casework and one coming into sharp focus, given the government’s intention to introduce Awaab’s Law into both the social and private rented sectors.
“It is clear that landlords are still struggling with timescales. This is despite policies often setting out a clear sequence of actions and existing obligations requiring reasonable resolution times.
“Throughout these cases, landlord inspections are revealed as limited or repeated because of poor records before action is taken, with living conditions deteriorating during these delays.
“Often there can be a disconnect between the survey recommendations and the schedule of works as these repairs are being delayed. Cases also include repairs being ‘completed’ but issues remaining for the resident, and cases being closed without follow-up inspections or communication with the resident.
“It is wholly unreasonable to offer just £150 to a resident who lost both their bedrooms to mould for more than a year, as happened in one case.
“Moreover, addressing the root causes of inadequate inspections and delays means resources can go into services rather than redressing service failings.”
There is no mention of this official ruling against Croydon Council to be found anywhere on the council’s website. Nor has the council’s propaganda department rushed out a press release about the £5,000 compensation, complete with vacuous quote from Tory Mayor Jason Perry. Funny that…
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ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: In January 2024, Croydon was named among the country’s rottenest boroughs for a SEVENTH successive year in the annual round-up of civic cock-ups in Private Eye magazine
The specific report on Croydon is on the Housing Ombudsman’s website here https://www.housing-ombudsman.org.uk/decisions/london-borough-of-croydon-202227185/
While the problems with damp in the tenant’s flat go back to 2016, the failure to respond properly began in June 2022. That was shortly after Jason Perry became Mayor, and appointed Councillor Lynn Hale as his Deputy and Cabinet Member for Homes. The rot that set in under Newman and Butler hasn’t been removed
Housing in Croydon could be worse…..the Regulator of Social Housing (a new regulator?) has given their worst possible rating to Newham, not to Croydon !