We publish today two new public interest reports after finding vulnerable tenants and their families suffered repeated delays in essential repairs, including unresolved damp and mould, poor communication, and a lack of attention to their specific needs.

The Complaint

We launched two investigations after receiving separate complaints from Mr B and Mrs C about Trivallis’ response to reports of damp and mould. Mr B’s complaint also raised concerns about how the Association dealt with his broken boiler.

What we found

We found that the Association did not always respond appropriately to reports of damp and mould in the homes of Mrs B and Mrs C. Reports were often delayed and not handled according to policy.

For Mr B, unresolved repairs over nearly seven years led to damp and mould in his home. Delays in fixing a broken boiler also meant he could not heat his home while the repair was awaited, despite him highlighting his specific vulnerabilities. The boiler repair was only carried out after his wife complained.

For Mrs C, surveys found moisture in the same area of her home that led to damp and mould, although the Association has not yet confirmed the cause. We also found that communication with her was not always appropriate and that the needs of her disabled granddaughters were not clearly considered.

The investigations also raised concerns about the Association’s handling of complaints and record-keeping. In Mr B’s case, inaccurate records led to fundamental errors, and the Association did not explain why issues were not resolved sooner despite repeated repair requests. Staff did not inspect Mr B’s roof in person, instead using photographs from a previous visit to incorrectly assert that an inspection had taken place. The Association also failed to provide all requested records for the investigation.

We expressed concern that these failings may be systemic. Opportunities to address repair issues were repeatedly missed, particularly for vulnerable tenants and their families, highlighting shortcomings from which other organisations can learn.

Commenting on the report, Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, Michelle Morris, said:

“These cases show the serious distress caused when essential repairs are not carried out. Mr B lived for years with outstanding repairs and was without proper heating for a period while a broken boiler awaited repair. This falls short of the Welsh Housing Quality Standard and the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016. Residents should not have to make repeated complaints to have urgent issues addressed – this is a clear injustice.

In Mrs C’s home, the needs of her disabled grandchildren were not properly considered, and delays in addressing damp and mould may have affected their health. Vulnerable households must be treated with care, and their specific circumstances taken into account.

Systemic weaknesses in the Association’s repairs service – such as inaccurate records and failure to act on repeated requests – prolonged residents’ distress and undermined trust in how complaints and repairs are managed.

These failings also raise concerns about tenants’ rights under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protects one’s home and family life. The cases highlight lessons for other landlords on the importance of timely action, proper record-keeping, and ensuring the needs of vulnerable tenants are fully considered – issues emphasised in our recent report, Living in Disrepair.”

 

Our Recommendations

We made a number of recommendations, which Trivallis accepted. These included:

• Apologising to the complainants and providing financial redress in recognition of the injustice and where applicable, the losses suffered.
• Ensuring all relevant staff receive training to identify and respond appropriately to vulnerable customers, including scenario based training to apply lessons from these cases.
• Developing and implementing a damp and mould procedure, including inspecting and addressing any damp identified in Mrs C’s property.
• Establishing processes to identify, record, and escalate repeated repair requests, and to analyse information from property sensors on damp and mould.
• Reviewing its records management process to ensure compliance with our principles of “Good Records Management Matters”.
• Sharing these reports with the Association’s Assurance Committee, which will oversee compliance with these recommendations.

We publish today two public interest reports concerning signficant failings of Cardiff and Flintshire Councils in responding to repeated complaints from social housing tenants about damp and mould.

The first report finds that Cardiff Council missed numerous opportunities over nearly 4 years to properly investigate and resolve the causes of a significant leak and extensive damp and mould, resulting in devastating impact on the complainant and her family.

The second report concerns failings by Flintshire Council to appropriately respond to repeated reports of damp and mould, leaving a tenant and her children living for 5 months in unacceptable conditions.

Michelle Morris, the Ombudsman, said:

“Firstly, I want to acknowledge the impact of these failings on the complainants. A home should be a place of peace and safety – but for the people who brought these complaints to us, it became a hazard. The health impacts of damp and mould are well-documented, but its impact on family life can be no less devastating.

In October last year, I published a thematic report on how social landlords in Wales respond to request for repairs related to damp and mould. Sadly, we continue to see numerous cases highlighting similar failings.

The failings identified in these cases are ones from which other organisations can learn. It is for these reasons I consider these reports to be of wider public interest. I hope that the experiences of Ms C and Miss Y will serve as a powerful reminder to social landlords across Wales of the potentially devastating human impacts of delayed and inadequate responses to reports of disrepair or damp and mould.”

The First Report – Cardiff Council – 202404828

Our investigation uncovers devastating impact on a tenant renting from Cardiff Council whose property was allowed to fall ‘into an appalling state of disrepair’. The Council missed numerous opportunities over nearly 4 years to properly investigate and resolve the causes of a significant leak and extensive damp and mould.

The complaint

Ms C complained about the condition of the property she rented from Cardiff Council.  She complained that the Council did not respond to or act upon reports of leaks and extensive damp and mould at the property appropriately and in a timely manner. She also complained that, after the property was identified as not fit for human habitation, the Council did not carry out repair works in a timely manner nor make reasonable efforts to provide alternative accommodation for Ms C’s family.

What we found

We found that the Council was aware of the presence of damp and mould in April 2021 and over several years Ms C had made multiple reports of a significant leak from the bathroom causing damage to the kitchen ceiling.  By March 2024 the property had fallen into an appalling state of disrepair.

We also found that there were further avoidable delays in arranging necessary repairs after the Council formally decided that the property was not fit for human habitation in July 2024.

Ms C and 2 of her daughters spent many months living in unsuitable conditions with her elderly mother without access to a home which was fit for them to live in.

Our recommendations

We made a number of recommendations, all of which the Council accepted. These included apologising to Ms C and providing her with £3,000 in financial redress. The Council was also advised to remind Responsive Repairs Unit staff of the importance of treating all tenants with respect and compassion, particularly regarding complex repairs and issues with damp and mould.

Additionally, the Council was asked to provide us with evidence of review outcomes and action plans, including responses to the thematic disrepair and damp report. It was also asked to identify any other tenants affected by systemic issues and provide redress where needed, and to carry out an equality impact assessment of its repair and damp and mould policies.

The Second Report – Flintshire County Council – 202401983

We uphold a complaint against Flintshire County Council as tenant and her children were left living for 5 months in ‘unacceptable conditions’. The Council failed to appropriately respond to repeated reports of damp and mould, as well as act in a timely manner once the extent of the works needed was known.

The complaint

Miss Y complained about the way her landlord, Flintshire County Council, had responded to reports of damp and mould in her home and whether it had taken appropriate action to provide alternative accommodation.

What we found

The investigation found that the Council failed to identify that Miss Y had made numerous repair requests regarding the same issue.  Repair requests were treated in isolation.  Officers visited Miss Y’s home on numerous occasions to address new issues, whilst previous repair requests remained outstanding.  As such there were many missed opportunities to identify damp and mould and carry out work to address this.

The Council did not act in a timely manner once the extent of the works needed to Miss Y’s home was known.  Miss Y and her children were left living in unacceptable conditions for 5 months after the Council became aware of damp in her home.

Our recommendations

We made several recommendations, all of which the Council accepted. These included apologising to Miss Y and providing an additional £1,258 in financial redress for the distress and the lost furniture and possessions, on top of the £500 already offered.

The Council was also asked to ensure Housing and Communities officers complete paperwork accurately, contact Miss Y to confirm any outstanding work with a completion schedule,  and develop processes to identify, record, and escalate repeated repair requests.

Further recommendations included creating guidance for assigning Tenant Liaison Officers, developing a more specific decant policy, and reviewing procedures for conducting and recording pre-letting inspections.

We noted that the Council has already made changes to its systems to address some of the failures identified.