Following a ruling by the Housing Ombudsman, Lambeth Council has been instructed to pay £6,500 as compensation to the resident. The Ombudsman’s investigation revealed severe maladministration on the part of the landlord due to inadequate record-keeping. Specifically, the council failed to properly track the complaint after its stage two response.

During the investigation, the landlord assured that they would monitor and address a roof leak, having already carried out some repairs that were deemed “limited” by the court following a successful disrepair claim made by the resident against Lambeth a few years prior, Inside Housing reports. However, despite these attempts, the leak persisted in multiple rooms of the house for the following two years.

The presence of dampness and mould caused great concern and anxiety for the family, especially due to their three-year-old child who suffered from severe eczema. Efforts to rectify the issue were made, but unfortunately, the landlord’s actions included leaving scaffolding outside the property for 27 months, obstructing natural light access.

Additionally, the landlord’s response to a safeguarding inquiry from the children’s school was inadequate, with a delay of five months before taking action. The school reported the presence of black mold in the kitchen and red/orange mold in the living room, raising concerns about the condition of the property. Furthermore, the school expressed worry about woodlice infestation and a window pane being held in place with sticky tape.

Lambeth Council’s shortcomings in record-keeping not only affected its ability to address repairs promptly but also impacted its handling of complaints. The failures in maintaining accurate records hindered the overall operations of the council in addressing issues and providing appropriate solutions.

The housing ombudsman, Richard Blakeway said: “It is intolerable that a mother had to spend six years getting her landlord to respond to serious issues which were causing considerable anxiety for her family. The landlord’s response was contrary to its legal obligations and its failure to engage with the damp and mould issue, despite the health and safety severity, was inappropriate.”

Housing Disrepair Reports

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