City of Westminster (Parliament politics magazine) – Westminster City Council compensates tenant £4,800 after 11-month delay fixing exposed bathroom wires in community supported housing.
Westminster City Council has now expressed apologies and pledged to investigate the tenant’s matter thoroughly.
The unnamed tenant had been living alone in community-supported housing and was afflicted with depression, rheumatoid arthritis, and asthma when he first complained in December 2023, according to a report presented to the council. The resident said that despite the repeated reports of the problem, no repairs had been made.
In order to make the bathroom more suitable, the man also asked for modifications, such as a level-access shower because the water was not draining properly. After a month of assessment, the renter was informed that the adaptations were not feasible and was encouraged to bid on other houses.
What are the key details of the compensation case by a tenant at Westminster?
The Westminster council stated that they had not been notified of a leaking shower before, but on January 2, 2024, they dispatched a surveyor who was unable to reach the shower unit due to a power outage.
In September 2024, the renter filed an escalated complaint, claiming that many of the issues raised in their original complaint had not yet been fixed.
After a surveyor inspected the house on October 1, contractors updated the fuse box and reconfigured the bathroom’s cable three weeks later. Following a council inspection, it was found that the shower supply was impacted by the electrics’ constant tripping.
After that, the tenant started to complain about their kitchen, which the council claimed was related to the electrical problems that had been resolved. The Chief of Repairs and the Housing Team Manager paid the resident a visit in November 2024 and apologised.
They said that the subsequent inquiry ought to have been thorough and that they responded to the tenant’s complaint late in December 2023. They admitted the stage 2 complaint had ‘taken the maximum time allowed’ and that the resident had to ‘spend extra time and difficulty’ into pursuing his complaint.
The report read: “As part of this stage 2 investigation, compensation has been considered. The resident indicated that they were not looking for compensation as an outcome to their complaint. However, to comply with the council’s policies and procedures, we recommend an offer of £4,795.74.”
How is Westminster council working on the settlement with the tenant’s case?
As part of the settlement, 50% of the rent that had been paid since December 2023 was returned. After completing a medical assessment form, the authorities will return to inspect the kitchen’s ventilation and a window that the tenant is having trouble opening.
It is anticipated that smoke alarms will be replaced, and the bathroom’s design, shower screen and towel rail will all be reviewed.
Additionally, Westminster City Council pledged to examine the interactions between its services and residents, as well as to determine whether complaints indicate a resident’s vulnerability.
It has additionally pledged to look into the way in which scheme managers interact with and assist residents.
How is Westminster Council addressing repair delays and tenant complaints effectively?
Housing services comprised 62% of all complaints to Westminster City Council during the 2023–24 years, which was a high number of complaints.
Only 14.7% of stage 2 complaints received a response within the deadline, but only 41% of stage 1 concerns received a response within the timeframe allowed.
The council has been able to accelerate response times through such measures as holding daily oversight meetings and improving contractor contract management.
The council explained that 90.6 percent of emergency repairs ended within schedule time, and non-emergency work ended on schedule at 70.9%. Residents reported delays and communication issues as key challenges with the repairs service.
According to a tenant satisfaction study, 63.3% of tenants thought their house was safe, which is marginally higher than the median standard for London.
The council acknowledged that it hasn’t always met up to residents’ expectations, particularly when it comes to understanding their issues and acting quickly to resolve them.
A £21,000 compensation award was given to a renter who had to wait years for repairs to their flat. This includes £5,000 for delays and difficulties and £16,000 in rent reimbursements. Despite asking for modifications prior to her discharge from the hospital, the tenant, who is a wheelchair user with several diseases, experienced considerable delays.
Significant service shortcomings in managing repairs and complaints were brought to light in this case, and the council acknowledged lost chances to attend to the tenant’s needs.