Peabody Trust — case 202419883

Decision Case ID 202419883 Decision type Investigation Landlord Peabody Trust Landlord type Housing Association Occupancy Assured Tenancy Date 28 January 2026 Background The resident has reported damp and mould at the property to the landlord since at least 2023. In September 2023 a contractor noted that external works were required to resolve matters. The resident has informed the landlord of her vulnerabilities. What the complaint is about The complaint is about the way the landlord handled the resident’s reports of damp and mould.

We have also investigated the landlord’s response to the complaint. Our decision (determination) We have found service failure in the way the landlord handled the resident’s reports of damp and mould. We have found reasonable redress in the landlord’s response to the complaint. We have made orders for the landlord to put things right. Summary of reasons The landlord identified failings in the way it handled the resident’s reports of damp and mould, including delays to external and internal works in the resident’s property and in its communication.

It looked to put this right in its complaint responses. However, it then did not complete these works within its timescales. The landlord also identified failings in the way it responded to the resident’s complaint. It apologised and took steps to put things right. Putting things right Where we find service failure, maladministration or severe maladministration we can make orders for the landlord to put things right. We have the discretion to make recommendations in all other cases within our jurisdiction.

Orders Landlords must comply with our orders in the manner and timescales we specify. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of compliance with our orders by the due date set. Order What the landlord must do Due date 1 Apology order The landlord must apologise in writing to the resident for the failures identified in this report. The landlord must ensure: The apology is specific to the failures identified in this decision, meaningful and empathetic. It has due regard to our apologies guidance.

No later than 25 February 2026 2 Compensation order The landlord must pay the resident £750 for distress and inconvenience likely caused by its handling of the reports of damp and mould. This must be paid directly to the resident by the due date. The landlord must provide documentary evidence of payment by the due date. The landlord may deduct from the total figure any payments it has already paid. No later than 25 February 2026 3 Specialist damp survey The landlord must engage a specialist damp contractor to inspect the property and make recommendations to resolve the damp and mould issues.

No later than 11 March 2026 Recommendations Our recommendations are not binding, and a landlord may decide not to follow them. Our recommendations Compensation If it has not done so already, the landlord should pay the resident the £400 compensation it offered for its poor complaint handling. The finding of reasonable redress was made on the basis of this sum being paid to the resident. Insurance The landlord should consider whether to refer the resident to its liability insurer.

It should write to the resident with its decision, either explaining that it is referring the resident or giving the reasons why it won’t be doing this. Our investigation The complaint procedure Date What happened 2 November 2023 The resident complained to the landlord about its response to her reports of damp and mould. 1 December 2023 The landlord provided its stage 1 complaint response. It said: Its contractor had inspected the damp and mould. The contractor had said a surveyor should attend to investigate the root cause of the issue.

A surveyor had not been to visit the property yet. It apologised for this and said it would look into offering compensation. 19 April 2024 The resident requested to escalate her complaint. She was unhappy because: She had been complaining about damp and mould for 12 years and she believed that landlord had not responded appropriately. The external work to the property had not been started. Of a lack of contact from the landlord. The work done internally to tackle the damp and mould had left the property damaged.

29 July 2024 The landlord provided its stage 2 response. It said: It apologised for the level of service and delay. Multiple appointments had been raised, but there was still unfinished work. The surveying team would be in touch about the unfinished work. It was offering the resident £1,000 compensation. Referral to the Ombudsman The resident was unhappy at the landlord’s response and because the damp and mould was still present at the property. She has told us she would like a damp–free home.

What we found and why The circumstances of this complaint are well known by the parties involved, so it is not necessary to detail everything that’s happened or comment on all the information we’ve reviewed. We’ve only included the key information that forms the basis of our decision of whether the landlord is responsible for maladministration. Complaint The way the landlord handled the resident’s reports of damp and mould Finding Service failure Generally, we investigate issues and events up to the date of the landlord’s final complaint response.

This is because events that occurred after the date of the final response will not have been addressed via the landlord’s complaint process. However, in this case it is appropriate for us to consider events past this date, as these events are directly relevant to the issues raised in the complaint and actions the landlord committed to in its complaint responses. The landlord’s contractor attended the resident’s property on 24 September 2023. They recommended that external works needed to be completed to the building where the resident lived.

This external work (and follow-on internal works) were completed on 20 November 2024. This was nearly 14 months from when the work was recommended. The landlord’s repairs policy says specialist works should be completed within 60 calendar days. The landlord did not act appropriately because it failed to follow its policy here. The landlord’s damp and mould policy says it aims to ensure that residents live in a safe and healthy home. The policy says the landlord will take into account the effect that damp and mould can have on a resident and that it will prioritise work to tackle this.

In its stage 1 response, the landlord explained the contractor’s assessment that there was not much point carrying out a mould wash due to the mould constantly coming back. We believe it reasonable to say that if the landlord agreed with this assessment, it should have considered prioritising the external work. There is no evidence it did this. This would have meant the follow-on internal works would also have been completed much sooner. The landlord did carry out some interim internal works in April 2024, including mould washes of the affected areas.

However, that was some 6 months after the landlord had identified the damp and works required to resolve it. The landlord did not act appropriately here. We consider this does not show it prioritising work related to damp and mould or ensuring the resident was living in a safe and healthy home. The landlord’s damp and mould policy says the landlord will make sure residents receive regular and timely updates. Throughout the period of the complaint, the evidence shows the resident chasing the landlord for an update.

The landlord did not make sure the resident received regular and timely updates about how it intended to deal with the damp and mould. The evidence shows the resident contacting the landlord’s frontline staff for an update. The enquiry would be referred internally but there is no evidence the resident was then updated. These actions are not in line with the landlord’s damp and mould policy and increased the frustration felt by the resident. The landlord did identify and acknowledge its failings in its complaint responses.

It looked to put things right with the resident and awarded her £600 compensation. If the landlord had completed the repairs within its own timeframes, from the date of the stage 2 response, then we would have found reasonable redress for this matter. However, from its stage 2 response the landlord then took 114 calendar days to complete the external and follow-on internal repairs. This is almost double the 60 days that is set out in its policy and so is a failure to follow the policy.

Consequently, we find service failure in the landlord’s handling of this matter. The resident had three children, the youngest was 8 years old at the time of the complaint. The resident also detailed the distress and inconvenience being caused to her and the impact the situation was having on her mental health. Considering this, and the delay in the repair from the stage 2, it would be reasonable for the landlord to pay an additional £150 compensation to the resident. The landlord should also apologise for the extra delay in completing the repair.

The resident has informed us that she would like a damp-free home and that she does not believe the works related to this issue have been completed. In order to resolve this matter and considering that attempts to resolve it have failed, we have ordered the landlord to engage a specialist damp contractor to inspect the property and make recommendations to resolve the damp and mould issues. The resident has mentioned to us and the landlord that some of her possessions have been damaged due to this issue.

We have made a recommendation for the landlord to provide details of its liability insurer to the resident so she can make a claim, should she wish to do so. The insurer can decide on whether the landlord had acted negligently and, if appropriate, the amount that should be paid to the resident. The liability insurance company is a separate organisation from the landlord and the landlord is not responsible for the insurer’s decision or the claims process, aside from passing on the details of how to claim to the resident.

Complaint The handling of the complaint Finding Reasonable redress The landlord has a 2-stage complaint process. Its complaints policy was updated during the complaint. The old policy had no requirement to acknowledge a complaint, but the new policy aimed to acknowledge a stage 2 escalation within 5 working days. The landlord acknowledged the resident’s stage 2 escalation on 21 May 2024. This was 20 working days from when the resident escalated her complaint. The landlord did not follow its policy here.

The landlord’s complaints policy says a resident should receive a formal response to stage 1 complaints within 10 working days and stage 2 complaints within 20 working days. The landlord responded to the resident’s stage 1 complaint in 21 working days. It responded to the resident’s stage 2 complaint in 48 working days. The landlord did not follow its complaints policy on either occasion. The landlord acknowledged and apologised for its failings in its stage 2 response. It failed to follow its own policy but it identified its own failings and took steps to put things right.

It offered the resident £400 compensation. Considering our remedies guidance, we consider this to be an appropriate level of compensation for the failings identified. Learning Knowledge information management (record keeping) The landlord’s records were detailed and showed good practice. Generally, they captured the full repair journey, including notes explaining why works were cancelled or delayed. This level of detail supports transparency and is a positive from the landlord.

Communication We have noted in the above and the landlord has acknowledged that the level of communication was not appropriate. The landlord should ensure it engages with resident’s and has robust internal policies and procedures in place for dealing with enquiries and requests for updates. It could consult our Spotlight report on Repairs and Maintenance on this.