A round-up of the latest news from the Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS), highlighting the launch of a new special investigations process designed to help landlords identify and resolve issues earlier, and updates on several recently closed investigations.

A round-up of the latest news from the Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS), including findings of severe maladministration for Waltham Forest Council and Yorkshire Housing.

A round-up of the latest news from the Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS), including the publication of a special investigation report into Lewisham Council, following concerns about hazard management and complaint handling.

A round-up of the latest news from the Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS), including severe maladministration findings in relation to complaint handling for a landlord.

A weekly round-up of the latest news from the Housing Ombudsman Service (HOS), including the first report on lessons from its duty to monitor compliance against the Complaint Handling Code.

The Housing Ombudsman has announced that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed with the New Homes Ombudsman. The MoU outlines how the organisations will work together and how jurisdictional issues will be dealt with.

The Housing Ombudsman and the Regulator of Social Housing have completed their review of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed in 2024, and confirmed its ongoing relevance. Both the Housing Ombudsman and Regulator of Social Housing have reaffirmed their commitment to close collaboration and adherence to the MoU’s provisions. These include maintaining complementary approaches while respecting each other’s independence, engaging in early communication on significant issues, directing enquirers to the appropriate organisation with clear explanations, holding regular meetings at various seniority levels, promoting an understanding of their respective roles among residents and landlords, and ensuring consistent communication about their functions.

The Housing Ombudsman Service has reported that it has found two incidents of severe maladministration by Onward Homes’ following the handling of a resident’s complaint regarding damp and mould and her request for compensation due to damaged belongings. Following a request by the resident for a repair or replacement of the windows, the landlord argued the issues were down to the resident not managing condensation efficiently, later confirming that the windows were beyond repair. The Ombudsman found that there was an unreasonable delay by the landlord in responding to the resident’s concerns and that there was no evidence that showed the condensation was due to the resident’s inaction. The Housing Ombudsman Service ordered the landlord to pay £2,175 compensation, carry out a survey to determine if the property is habitable and, if not, to consider moving the resident or offering a rent reduction until the windows are replaced.

The Housing Ombudsman Service has reported a severe maladministration finding for Metropolitan Thames Valley due to the failure to deal with a resident’s complaint relating to fire safety for over ten months. This Ombudsman’s investigation revealed that the throughout the complaint process, the landlord failed to reassure the resident, recognise the inherent anxiety associated with fire safety, recognise the resident’s disability, and provided unclear and delayed responses. The Ombudsman has ordered Metropolitan Thames Valley to ‘apologise to the resident, set out its current fire safety procedures, ensure appropriate signage around the building and clarify whether the fire alarm call points can now be removed.’ The landlord has also published a learning statement in response.

The Housing Ombudsman has published a report highlighting significant failings in social landlords' management of disability adaptations and mental health needs. Based on 35 investigations, the report reveals systemic issues including prolonged delays in implementing crucial adaptations, inadequate communication with vulnerable residents, and failures to make reasonable adjustments as required by the Equality Act. Notable cases include a 27-month delay in installing urgent adaptations for a child undergoing chemotherapy and an eight year period where a resident was largely confined to one room due to wheelchair accessibility issues. The Ombudsman emphasises the need for landlords to develop more human-centric service provision and address the 'callous and uncaring' systems and processes exposed through these investigations. This report follows the Ombudsman's previous Spotlight report on attitudes, respect and rights, underscoring the ongoing challenges in addressing vulnerabilities in social housing.

The Housing Ombudsman Service has published a special investigation report into the London Borough of Camden's landlord services, uncovering significant shortcomings in complaint handling and service delivery. The investigation, prompted by a high volume of severe maladministration findings, examined 57 complaints and identified an 83% maladministration rate for 2023-2024. Key issues include a defensive complaints culture, persistent disrepair problems and inadequate support for vulnerable residents. While the council has implemented some improvements, the Ombudsman has requested a comprehensive action plan to address the report's recommendations, emphasising the need for cultural change and improved processes in complaint handling, repairs management and support for vulnerable tenants. The Ombudsman will continue to monitor progress as Camden Council works to enhance its housing services.

The Housing Ombudsman has shared its latest learning from its severe maladministration report on landlords' response to window complaints. The report comes just a month after the Ombudsman's open letter to Chief Executives on the issue, where concerns were raised over the approaches of landlords to window repairs following more serious findings in investigated cases. The report is part of a series providing lessons to help the sector prepare for the anticipated introduction of Awaab’s Law, in whatever form it takes.