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Ombudsman highlights landlord failings on hazards ahead of Awaab’s Law second phase
The Housing Ombudsman has highlighted “reoccurring” failings by social landlords in dealing with hazards in residents’ homes ahead of the further roll-out of Awaab’s Law later this year.
Ombudsman highlights landlord failings on hazards ahead of Awaab’s Law second phase #UKhousingThe Housing Ombudsman has highlighted “reoccurring” failings by landlords in dealing with hazards ahead of the further roll-out of Awaab’s Law later this year #UKhousingIn its latest learning from severe maladministration report, the social housing watchdog warned that, as had been seen with damp and mould, landlords are missing early warning signs about other hazards.
Housing ombudsman Richard Blakeway cited cultural issues, stretched resources, unclear processes, poor communication and policy weaknesses as some of the reasons for the issues discussed in the report.
He also warned that landlords may not be fully ready for the next phase of Awaab’s Law, which provides strict timescales for landlords to fix emergency hazards and damp and mould.
From late October, the regulations will extend to cover a greater range of dangers in the home including risks of falls, fire and electrical hazards and excess cold and heat.
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Evidence from the first few months of the new regime shows landlords have already made changes to how they operate to meet Awaab’s Law.
But the Housing Ombudsman said he had seen “more reassurance than assurance” from landlords and highlighted a general lack of data in an interview with Inside Housing last autumn.
In a statement on the latest report, Mr Blakeway said: “I have concerns phase one of Awaab’s Law could have created some false comfort [that] landlords are prepared for its extension.
“Where multiple hazards are present in a single home, the assessment will be more complex. Complexity requires clarity and agility in decision-making, often absent in these cases.”
He added: “To many landlords’ credit, more innovation and resource is going into these areas. But this may not be universal or sustained, given other competing pressures.
“More resources are planned by some landlords specifically for damp and mould, which is positive, but what about other emerging issues?
“These cases are a reminder of the impact on residents where the focus on the root causes is lost.”
The watchdog named 15 landlords in its maladministration report and highlighted that some cases involve the same landlord across different hazards.
Themes include multiple hazards, hazards at letting, asbestos, lead, heating and hot water loss, excess cold, overheating, contaminated water, pests, lifts and sewage leaks.
The report included the case of an older woman who suffered leaks from her toilet in her bathroom and garden for nine years. She reported the problem 20 times and the landlord failed to deal with the issue despite requesting a CCTV survey from a contractor three times.
The resident also faced high water bills and suffered panic attacks after trying to resolve the situation herself, which led to court papers from her water company.
The landlord said it put in new measures so it has better oversight of complex repairs and improved how it deals with escalation when there are repeated failures.
The full report can be found on the Housing Ombudsman website here.
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