“Extremely serious failures” have been flagged in a maladministration review of how landlords handle anti-social behaviour (ASB), by the Housing Ombudsman.
ASB is the second highest driver of traffic to the Ombudsman and covers domestic violence, homophobia, self-harm, racism and suicide.
Though the Ombudsman found evidence of some good practice by landlords, with fewer findings being upheld in 2023/24, it still flagged “clear and consistent failings”.
Often through omission, landlords were found to not have adequately handled ASB cases with little to no planning, communication or coordination with other authorities.
In one case, a domestic abuse victim was left without support and unable to leave her home following landlord inaction. It also involved the resident’s ex-partner being told key information about the case whilst she was in refuge.
In another case, a landlord failed to communicate effectively with a resident despite her reporting that a neighbour pointed a firearm at her.
Landlords highlighted in the report included Southwark Council, Peabody, Sanctuary, Newham Council and Clarion.
The Ombudsman has made several recommendations in light of these findings, including recommending to landlords they have thorough risk assessment protocols in place and to liaise with other authorities - such as the police - sooner and closer.
Commenting on these findings, Housing Ombudsman Richard Blakeway said this showed how landlords’ responsibilities go “beyond bricks and mortar”.
“Although I do see some good practice, these cases point to clear and common failings,” said Richard. “This can often be a failure to respond and act. This can lead to risk assessments not being conducted, actions plans being absent, and limited communication.”
He added: “There are practical lessons across these cases for landlords to improve policies and procedures, from ensuring policies are clear and deliverable; managing resident expectations; triaging complaints; improving knowledge transfer; and being more proactive.”
