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Decision Report 201809582

  • Case ref:
    201809582
  • Date:
    March 2021
  • Body:
    Hillcrest Housing Association
  • Sector:
    Housing Associations
  • Outcome:
    Not upheld, no recommendations
  • Subject:
    Repairs and maintenance

Summary

C complained on behalf of their family member (A) about Hillcrest Housing Association. A had been a tenant of the association and reported various problems with the property some years ago. Following a chartered surveyor's report, which identified several issues, a number of alterations were made to the property.

C disagreed that the association had repaired the property to a tolerable standard.

In recent years, A reported an alleged insect infestation. Various investigations were done, and A was decanted from the property for a temporary period. C disputed the association's view that there was no evidence of an insect infestation. C also complained that the association failed to provide A with alternative accommodation.

We found that there was evidence that the association had followed their decant process when dealing with the concerns that A had raised. We considered that the association took the concerns about infestation seriously and acted reasonably to address allegations of an ongoing pest infestation. We did not uphold this aspect of the complaint.

We also found that the association made reasonable efforts to offer alternative accommodation in response to A's ongoing concerns. We did not uphold this aspect of C's complaint.

In terms of repairs to the property, we identified evidence to demonstrate that the association had responded reasonably to the reported concerns. Overall, we found no reason for the association to doubt the professional judgement of those involved. We, therefore, did not uphold this aspect of the complaint.

Updated: March 24, 2021