The Housing Ombudsman, who presides over the social landlord sector comprising housing associations and local councils, has hit out at a number of providers over their work on window repairs.

In one case, the Ombudsman found how a social landlord left a child’s bedroom window boarded up for four years and another case showed how a landlord continually put off repairs for years due to incoming major works, which left a vulnerable child in a cold home. 

The Ombudsman’s report includes cases involving disrepair reports for more than a decade as well as safety concerns being raised by residents about the installation of new windows in taller buildings.

The providers concerned are Accent Housing; Camden Council; Clarion; Guinness Partnership; Haringey Council; Hammersmith and Fulham Council; L&Q; Lambeth Council; Lewisham Council; Metropolitan Thames Valley; Notting Hill Genesis; Stroud Council; and Tower Hamlets Council.

Richard Blakeway, housing ombudsman, says: “At the crux of this report are stretched resources. Repairing windows can be costly. This can lead to landlords deferring immediate repairs in favour of major works at a later date. 

“But those future works can be volatile and uncertain, leaving residents living with faulty windows for several years. By focusing on the building rather than the individuals living within it, landlords risk overlooking their legal obligations.

“This approach is also normalising delays to key repairs and an increase in complaints about housing conditions. Ultimately, this requires a new and strengthened Decent Homes Standard, and it is welcome the government has committed to one.

“We have compiled learning from some key cases in this report and we will do more on this topic in the coming months. We are also hosting a webinar looking at window complaints.”