Nine landlords named in new watchdog report on improving apologies

While the landlord apologised for the inconvenience, “it did not go further to recognise the full impact” on the resident, resulting in the watchdog ordering a verbal apology.

The report explained the council has bolstered its complaint-handling systems since then, as well as reviewing how it tackles anti-social behaviour.

In another case, a resident was left stranded in their home due to repairs, which took more than three months to resolve as the council did not prioritise them, despite visiting the home nearly 20 times.

In its apology to the tenant, the council acknowledged some of its own issues but also “shifted blame onto staff or contractors” and did not say sorry for how it handled the complaints.

This meant it did not take full responsibility, the watchdog said. Since then, the council has improved how it tracks repairs, stressed expectations to contractors and given extra training to staff on communication and dealing with complaints.

Richard Blakeway, the housing ombudsman, stressed the positives that can result from landlords making a genuine apology that provides residents with dignity and respect.

He said: “Given the imbalance of power with residents, saying sorry for mistakes is especially important for social landlords. 

“Rebuilding trust matters when most residents will still live with the same landlord, regardless of its performance or any failings.

“An apology is a human way to acknowledge the pain organisational failings can cause. Complaints handled well can be restorative.

“Handled badly, and the complaints process compounds earlier service failings and further erodes trust.”

The watchdog can order landlords to say sorry to tenants in writing or in person if it finds there have been failings in how it provided its services.

It can also mandate that a senior colleague, including the chief executive, be the one to make the apology.

Apologies are included at every level of remedy the watchdog can force landlords to carry out if it finds failings, according to its compensation guidance revealed earlier this month.

The full learning from the report and the landlords named can be found here.

The ombudsman’s guidance on how to make apologies, including an 11-point checklist for landlords, is available here.