Landlords missing “early warning signs” about hazards, Housing Ombudsman warns

The report, published today (26 March), focuses on hazards, ahead of the introduction of Phase 2 of Awaab’s Law later this year.

Within the report, the Ombudsman highlights one case involving a resident who had unsafe drinking water for eight months, and someone else who was exposed to lead paint.

Meanwhile, several residents reported the loss of heating and hot water for several months or years.

There were also issues with overheating, including temperatures of 34°C, and excess cold, with a resident and her son sleeping in the living room because unresolved repairs for two years left the bedrooms too cold.

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “Cultural issues must sit behind at least some of these cases. Excessive time lapsed without the right thing being done or escalations to the right person. Other issues include people stretch, competency and silos at work.

“Processes are not followed, either because they are unclear, inadequate, lacking quality assurance or yet to embed. Individual circumstances are overlooked, communication haphazard, multiple surveys commissioned without progress being made, work schedules more limited than expert advice proposes, and no evidence of temporary moves being considered. A lack of resources may underpin each.”

The landlords mentioned in the report are:

• A2Dominion
• Birmingham City Council
• Bristol City Council
• Clarion
• ForHousing
• Hyde Group
• Leicester City Council
• London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
• London Borough of Lambeth
• L&Q
• Notting Hill Genesis
• Origin Housing
• Plymouth Community Homes
• Southampton City Council
• Southern Housing

The report outlines key learning points from asbestos, lead, heating loss, excess cold, overheating, water, pests, lifts and sewerage.

Blakeway said: “This report contains many lessons but one transferable from the experience of damp and mould is landlords missing early warning signs about hazards.

“This report shows the same issues and the same service failings reoccurring. Sometimes this involves the same landlord across different hazards.

“[…] I have concerns phase 1 of Awaab’s Law could have created some false comfort 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.”

Lottie Winson