Housing Ombudsman urges landlords to “avoid apathy” on window disrepair after rise in severe maladministration findings

The finding comes from the latest ‘Learning from severe maladministration’ report released by the Ombudsman.

This report looks at how windows and other hazards can often be interlinked, especially damp and mould or excess cold. It also shows how repairs can often be treated in isolation, rather than together.

The Ombudsman describes this area as one of the “strongest emerging concerns” in its casework, due to the risk of “apathy” towards conditions.

Cases included residents complaining for eight years about excess cold before the windows were repaired.

In another case, an inspection described the condition of the windows as “shocking”. It still remained unresolved for two years. 

The Ombudsman also reported several cases involving windows boarded up for long periods, which for one household lasted five years.

The report examines the importance of risk assessments in reaching a timely resolution. Finally, the Ombudsman focuses on the relationship between reactive repairs and cyclical major works.

The local authority landlords mentioned in this report included six London boroughs.

Richard Blakeway, Housing Ombudsman, said: “Windows remains one of the strongest emerging concerns in our casework. This is a concern we raised two years ago when I wrote to Chief Executives in relation to window disrepair. 

“This report shows clearly how window disrepair can present risks across multiple hazards.

“This may require effective triaging by landlords, integrated risk assessments, central oversight of repairs, and clear records and communication.

“The delays in some cases suggests some landlords should avoid apathy towards window disrepair, especially given the continuing interplay between responsive repairs and major works.”

Blakeway added: “To the credit of some landlords identified in this report, valuable lessons have been learnt. These can be shared with the sector to prevent the experiences of these residents being repeated.

“We encourage other landlords to step back and consider what they would have done in similar circumstances, and whether improvements could be made to ensure policies in practice deliver the outcomes expected.”

The full report is available here.